Chaos Incarnate
by GameJunkie7
Summary: What is gravity? What is physics in general? What are the laws of nature? Order. Things of Order they all are and even more potent are they in this world, a world with no natural wind, no natural weather or even celestial bodies and all are controlled by the quadrupeds that call this world home. It is disgusting... Unnatural... The world needs Chaos...
1. Sew The Seeds

_**Chaos Incarnate**_

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this story except Sanguine Shadowmane.

Beta: **PinkiePieFiesta**

_**Sew The Seeds**_

This land…is a piece of what can only be called paradise.

But that couldn't have been said barely a few months before, when strife between the three pony tribes: Earth, Pegasi and Unicorn, separated the hearts and minds of ponies against each other.

When their hatred, their fighting, and their refusal to find any common ground fueled the mighty Windigos power to freeze the entire lands over in endless snow, ice and wind. Blocking out the sun, killing the crops and making life incredibly hard and things were dire.

However, around three months ago; Clover the Clever, Smart Cookie and Pansy: the advisors of the three tribe leaders easily cast aside their leader's strife in their last moments before being frozen and ignited the Fire of Friendship. Thus banishing the Windigos and saving us all from a slow and cold death.

Now the tribes have come together to unify into a single nation: Equestria.

With the majority of the snow and ice having melted and the sun having warmed the land, the Earth ponies have immediately taken to tilling the fields near the place where the Unicorns have decreed the capital of Equestria should be; considering its central strategic location on the tallest mountain in the land which is practically in the middle of what the Pegasi report to be the whole land between the ocean to the west, the sea to the east separating Equestria from the Griffon Kingdom, the Frozen North where all is permanently cold and the deserts to the south.

Everypony agreed that this location would be perfect to build the capital city of their new nation: Canterlot. Not only because admittedly the Unicorns were right about its locational worth, but the Pegasi liked the higher altitude, of the enormous plateau, on the west face of the mountain that Canterlot would be built on and the Earth ponies liked that despite the higher altitude, the crystal clear water that flowed from the mountain created fertile lands not only on the plateau, but in all the valleys surrounding.

Here on this plateau, on a hillock of the mountain overlooking the many ponies building the newfound capital of their newfound country, stood a lone pony cloaked in a gray winter robe with the hood up to keep off the lingering chill the Windigo's curse had managed to leave behind.

This pony merely observed, quietly as he was awaiting somepony he said to meet him here. "There you are!" The pony turned towards the cheerful mare's voice to see Clover the Clever: Apprentice to Star Swirl the Bearded, trot up the hillock to him. "I'm so sorry Sanguine; I'm usually one to keep a punctual schedule."

"That is quite alright Clover. You have always been one to hesitate in matters concerning myself." Sanguine's smooth deep voice and his words made Clover blush slightly and fidget uncomfortably. "Ha, ha, ha~! Clover my dear friend, there is no need to be so concerned."

This was a very important meeting, not because of any subject matter really but because these two old friends hadn't even corresponded in years and suddenly Sanguine showed up out of nowhere, leaving a message for her to meet him here. "W-well it has been a long time Sanguine. I haven't seen you since we were practically foals! Where have you been?"

Sanguine looked back over the varied groups of ponies working together and he easily singled out some that were still at odds with their neighbors, sewing Discord where it needn't be. "You know that old ass didn't want you to know Clover, why else would he have me spirited away in the night with no explanation?"

"Sanguine that is no way to speak of Star Swirl! Have some respect for our mentor would you? He may be old but that's no excuse to call him a donkey!" Clover immediately stopped being somewhat withdrawn in her defense of her master, but her resolve was shaken when Sanguine actually looked at her for the first time and she saw a mis-matched pair of eyes looking at her, the red and gold irises practically glowing in the darkness of his hood and even seemed to switch colors between them, eyes she remembered even so back when were not like this since she remembered they were supposed to be gray. "S-Sanguine…what happened to you?"

Sanguine sighed before he took off his hood and Clover's heart skipped. Sanguine was a very handsome Unicorn stallion, even with a light sneer on his lips and an angry leer in his red and gold heterochromatic eyes which still seemed to glow even without the hood shading them. His coat and mane were both a pure black, darker than black if that were possible, yet had a healthy sheen to it that shimmered slightly in the light, and his horn was longer and sharper than normal. "Clover…you're staring…."

Clover snapped out of her trance at Sanguine mentioning it to her and she blushed while she looked away. "Q-quiet…it's not my fault you became handsome in our time apart."

Sanguine had a genuine happy chuckle that practically reverberated as he smiled. "Well thank you Clover. I've had many mares compliment me the past few years. They often say that my eyes strike fear into them but that strike brings their attention to the rest." Some of his mane got in his eyes and Sanguine flipped his head to whip his black hair out of his face and when he looked at Clover she was staring again. "Clover…you're doing it again."

"Sorry! Um…so aside from seeing each other after so long, what is it that you called me here for Sanguine?" Clover was personally hoping it was for courting her as she had yet to find a stallion who caught her eye, and Star Swirl had been bugging her to find one since he didn't want her to end up like him: old and alone.

"I…I need a friend Clover…." Sanguine was suddenly very serious and…sad? "What I've seen, what I've done, what I've been through…the ass knew what it would do to me. He forced me on this path and…I just wanted to spend some time with an old friend."

"Sanguine…are you ill? W-whatever it is please tell me! I'll search for a cure, a panacea, something to-!" Sanguine stopped Clover's worried rant with a black hoof to her muzzle and sighed.

"No Clover…there is no cure for my curse. I'm just worried that I won't have long before it runs its course. So for today at least, shall we enjoy each other's company again? Perhaps play some strategy games, compare magical formulas, polymorph rocks into odd statues?" Sanguine suggested and Clover giggled at remembering some of their old antics.

"Oh yes, it's been too long. I remember when you polymorphed statues of Star Swirl into making it look like he was having trouble using the privy." Clover's giggles spread to Sanguine who laughed loudly at that stunt, the old nag was livid with him for months.

"Oh! How about the time I replaced his black mane dye with bright pink?" As the day wore on the two old friends sat on the hillock and reminisced of the old days and even polymorphed things around them for old time's sake, along with even making a chess set and playing a few games. "So that's how I defeated the shadow spirit deep in the Crystal Mountains. The citizens of the Crystal Empire wanted to reward me but I didn't want the attention so I simply left under cover of night."

"Wow, you've done so much Sanguine! I'm surprised I haven't heard tales of most of those adventures. I've definitely heard about the "Shadow Slayer" though. The Crystal Empire is more or less petitioning to find you so they can thank you properly." Clover told her old friend who groaned to her amusement. "But Sanguine, you still haven't told me why Star Swirl sent you away, or where to for that matter. You've only told me stories of your adventures."

Sanguine sighed as he decided that there was no point in hiding it. He planned to tell her anyway. "Clover…what do you know about Alicorns?"

"Well aside from them being the most powerful of ponykind and sharing attributes with each race, not much. Star Swirl was rather guarded on the subject. Why do you ask?" Clover raised an eyebrow in confusion and Sanguine began to look worried. "Sanguine, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"Yes, I do." Sanguine steeled himself and his horn glowed with shimmering blackness that was his magical essence. He carefully removed his cloak which made Clover blush as he was rather tall, and despite his lithe body, had cords of muscle rippling under his coat which shimmered in the early evening light. When he had fully disrobed his straight black tail was revealed to be braided thickly and on his flank was his Cutie Mark: a broken window that had nothing beyond it. "Clover you're just being a pervert now…."

At Sanguine's embarrassed mumble, Clover stopped gawking at her fillyhood friend and cleared her throat. "Sanguine, I may be a shut-in who has never courted or been courted before, but I am a mare. As a self-respecting mare, I would be lying if I didn't say you are VERY attractive…most appealing stallion I've ever seen really." Clover boldly admitted and Sanguine sighed.

"I suppose the gawking mares are just another part of this curse." Sanguine then did something that Clover never anticipated, especially since they blended into his sides.

He spread his wings.

His large, beautiful black wings that shimmered with their velvety down from the evening sun, and seemed to swallow all attention in the area like a black hole. "Sanguine…y-you are…an Alicorn?"

Sanguine released a long suffering sigh and flexed his wings, obviously keeping them cramped in that cloak was confining. "Yes. However it is not by birth and certainly not by choice. If I hadn't allowed the raw essence of the shadow spirit to be absorbed by me it would've unleashed pure, literally unbridled Chaos to the entire world."

"So THAT'S why you avoided the praise of the Crystal Empire! You didn't want everypony finding out you've ascended! But why do you say this is a curse? Aside from becoming an Alicorn what else is happening to you?" Clover asked in worry since matters with Alicorns were never simple, that much Star Swirl was willing to divulge to her.

"I'm not JUST an Alicorn Clover. If that were all I'd let it be known far and wide what I've become, but all you must do is look into my eyes and you'll see why I am cursed." Sanguine stepped up to Clover and lowered his head towards hers which made her blush, and she looked at his lips at first before she looked into his eyes, and realization flashed through them. "Yes…."

"You're an Immortal Alicorn? W-what do you govern?" Now Clover was greatly fretting over this, it meant her friend was truly cursed. Nopony he knew, knows or will know will be able to stay by him as he'll outlive them all.

"You remember my Cutie Mark? How I got it when I accidentally broke the window in Star Swirl's alchemy lab, and a chain reaction was sparked by the wind from the Pegasi's incoming storm, blowing the fumes from several unfinished potions past the denaturing enchantment?" Sanguine asked in nostalgia, and Clover started giggling again.

"Yes, the potion fumes combined into a combustible gas that was ignited by the lantern just outside the study door and blew a third of the castle's north tower off. All because you threw that ball claiming you could hit the roof of the tower." Clover then calmed and became sad. "Shortly after you were gone…Star Swirl said it was because you were too volatile to be his apprentice."

"And the ass told the truth. For I govern Chaos itself. I am the essence of unpredictability, the wild and untamed power of the world that had long ago been sequestered by our ancestors. But now…I am forced to embody it, forced to utilize it, forced to bring it forth. I have been suppressing it for the past five months…and I cannot hold it at bay any longer…I just wanted to see you before I fully ascended, to see you before I changed and possibly ceased to be who I was…." Sanguine suddenly hugged Clover and she although flustered, returned the hug and felt absolutely safe when he even covered her with his wings. "I'm scared…Clover…I'm scared…."

The big strong stallion that was holding her was shivering, not from the cold but from mortal terror. His mortal self was about to cease and he was about to become something more. Clover hugged him as tightly as she could as she rubbed her face into his chest. "You'll still be you…just never forget who you are Sanguine."

Suddenly a massive heartbeat-like pulse emanated from Sanguine and he took a sharp gasp. "It's happening…I've suppressed it for too long."

"Let it out Sanguine! The magical backlash of letting it build up could destroy everything for miles! If you don't let it out, the laws of magical conservation state that you'll tear yourself apart!" Clover shouted up to him and Sanguine grunted as he let her go and backed up. "I don't want to lose a friend today Sanguine!"

"Either way…you just might." Sanguine let go and a massive pillar of black magic erupted into the sky, concealing him. "This! Is! Incredible!"

"Keep your head on straight Sanguine!" Clover was absolutely amazed, she was witnessing the ascension of an Alicorn: something that hadn't happened for centuries, possibly a millennia. However, despite the history being made as they spoke Clover was still worried what the raw essence of Chaos would do to her friend who always did have a mischevious nature to him already.

After almost half a minute the pillar dissipated and Sanguine stood with his wings spread wide and his head held high. He had gotten even taller, so tall that he was easily twice Clover's height now and he had a presence which was regal beyond doubt. "Clover…."

"Y-yes Sanguine?" Clover was glad he remembered her but she hoped he wasn't twisted up inside.

Sanguine fluttered his wings before folding them. He leveled his head at her as his mane and tail turned into wavering shadows that billowed in a non-existent wind. He then stretched languidly which made Clover incredibly flustered, and he had a devilishly cheeky grin on his face and he winked at her. "So, how sexy am I?"

Clover promptly rolled her eyes into the back of her head and fainted.

"Oh~…drop-dead sexy hm? I like this." Sanguine trotted up to his old friend and levitated her onto his back and ruffled his wings so to make her comfortable as well as keep her from falling. "I'd best take you to town, wouldn't be right leaving my dear friend out cold in the cold."

Sanguine trotted gently into town and ignored the many awed and baffled ponies that either moved aside or even kneeled to his displeasure; he hated stuffy nobles and thus hated all the bureaucracy and customs that came with it. "You there, guard."

A gray Pegasus stallion in functional light bronze armor trotted before him. "Yes sir?"

"Could you direct me to Clover the Clever's domicile? I'm afraid the dear has had a harrowing and overexciting experience seeing me ascend. I wish to put her to bed before I take a flight." However, despite how he dislikes nobility he has to accept he pretty much is nobility now so might as well get used to being all polite and such.

"Yes sir, follow me." The Pegasus was incredibly professional, keeping his calm in this odd situation. Commander Hurricane may be a hothead but she knows how to run a military. "This is her home at the moment sir. Most of the buildings for the city aren't finished and she shares this bunkhouse with Princess Platinum and some other nobles."

'My how the mighty have fallen. I'm just glad it's by their will since this city will be the seat of power for this new nation.' "Thank you guard. You're performance in the face of an unusual situation is to be commended." After the dismissal the guard nodded and flew off to continue his patrol route so Sanguine unlocked the door with his magic and entered the wood building in search of Clover's bunk.

It took several minutes for him to realize the bed and surrounding furniture with lists adhered to them belonged to Clover. Being Star Swirl's apprentice led to a pony becoming an Obsessive Compulsive organizer. He tucked her into the bed and even ran his hoof on her brow to get her hair out of her face. 'Sleep well my friend, I'll return after I've sorted my abilities out.' Sanguine left the building and warped away.

(Some days later)

Sanguine had flown away from the mountains, after getting in two days of practice with them. As beautiful and wondrous he found them, he wanted some open fields and perhaps a lake at the moment, so he flew south, away from the mountain Canterlot was being built on and the Unicorn Mountain Range as a whole. Finding a lush and fertile rolling land below, it only took most of a day of his unsteady flying to find a grand lake, just before a massive forest which he could sense was rich with the power of chaos.

'This land is beautiful and untamed, not like the old tribe homes.' Sanguine felt somewhat at ease here, he was drawn towards the dark forest nearby but felt it prudent to enjoy the open first.

When he finally inspected himself in the lake, he found that he was quite big, and would tower over all but the largest of ponies and the Horses of Saddle Arabia. His eyes were oddly heterochromatic, even more than before in that his right eye's iris is red and pupil gold, while his left eye's iris was gold and his pupil red, while outside that was normal white. He had disturbingly sharp teeth for a supposed herbivore, but he found he was indeed still herbivorous when he ate some grass and found it pleasant.

Sanguine drank from the lake, and when he finished he sighed in content before he let the wind whip his ethereal mane and tail about before he sighed in sadness and repressed his power, causing the wind to disappear again. 'This world…while beautiful is just unnatural. The wind doesn't blow, the clouds don't move, the sun and moon is literally moved by a large group of Unicorns. Yet I feel a simple nudge…a small encouragement….'

The wind suddenly blasted through the valley with gale force, clouds shifted and started raining on their own. The grass, flowers and general plant life near him flourished. The fish in the lake jumped and the sun visibly moved slightly and Sanguine reveled in slight euphoria at the feel of Chaos driving the world. He let the rain soak him through with his mouth gleefully catching some to drink before he then called back his power and the world was deathly still again.

"Unnatural…." Sanguine shook himself and looked towards the dark forest. "I sense that Chaos is strong with this forest. The clouds are moving on their own over it, I'm feeling a slight wind coming from it, and I can feel the power of it. I just have to explore now."

Before Sanguine could take off however he heard the familiar sound of a teleport and he turned slightly to see Clover sweating and panting. "There you are! I've been homing in on your magic signature for days and…and…." Clover's coat changed from lavender to bright pink as she took in the sight of the soaking wet stallion in front of her and watched as the water made his coat shimmer and outlined every single detail of his body. 'By Faust!' Clover's nose leaked a little blood and she looked away in embarrassment. "I'm sorry Sanguine! I didn't mean to interrupt your bath!"

Sanguine laughed boisterously and struggled not to fall over. "Clover! You act as if you've never seen a stallion fresh from a bath or coming in from the rain." He smirked cheekily. "Oh right you haven't. Well enjoy the view~." Sanguine waved his flanks at her and started laughing even harder when she fell over and almost rolled into the lake. "Clover, get yourself together mare! We're going to be seeing a lot of each other, and I'm not at all ashamed of what I am now, so look all you want but don't touch…ok, I don't mind the touching either." Sanguine wiggled his eyebrows and Clover started laughing.

"You devious stallion! Are you TRYING to seduce me, or is this all coming natural to you?" Clover couldn't help but smile at the ridiculousness of all this. Her old friend pops up, ended up being attractive and is now flirting nonstop. She really liked it since it made her feel more like a mare, and not just another bookworm Unicorn.

"Oh, it is all natural. Just took a bit of Chaos to unleash it. So Clover, why're you here? I can definitely take care of myself now that I am what I am." Sanguine then trotted up to her and hugged her which made her squeal with laughter and hug him back. "Or did you miss me already?"

"A bit of both actually! I was worried about what your ascension did to you, and I also wanted to see you again. Just one afternoon and evening together after years of absence and you fly off? That is incredibly unfair Sanguine; also, you're getting me wet!" Clover pushed him off with her magic and she looked at her brown cloak. "Oh now my cloak is wet…how can you be wet and not be cold?"

"I love the cold to be honest Clover. Anyhow I'm the same old Sanguine, just a little more off-the-wall than before. As for spending time together…I was actually considering going into that forest over there." Sanguine gestured to the dark forest. "I sense the presence of Chaos is strong within it. If you want you can accompany me for old time's sake. It'll be like that time we snuck out of Tall Tale and decided to go exploring Galloping Gorge."

"Well, like that time I'm afraid if I take too long I'll be in trouble…." Clover stated and Sanguine was worried about her tone. "I had to tell the council about you, and they've ordered me to find you and try to bring you back."

"What? Why would they…no." Sanguine answered and Clover was suddenly on her belly and holding onto his left foreleg.

"Please! I've never failed Princess Platinum before Sanguine! We need a leader that can truly unify our tribes!" Sanguine tried to look away but there it was…the Puppy Dog Pout.

"…Curse…you…FINE!" Sanguine sighed and took several deep breaths. "I'll consider it but I'll have to hear it from them first before I agree. I don't want to be king; I never do and never will. All the kings and queens of the past have all been corrupt in some way or form."

Clover let go of his foreleg and stood back up. "So if you won't be a king…what will you be if you lead Equestria?"

Sanguine thought on it and realized that a representative democracy wouldn't work, not with how things are at the time, and thus why they even came up with the idea so suddenly. "If this new country needs a monarch…let us not let the title of king or queen corrupt as it has. Should I accept…you will call me Prince Sanguine." Sanguine's horn lit up as he looked towards the Chaos empowered forest. 'So close…I sense that I would feel more at ease there than back at Canterlot.' With a flash of darkness the two old friends were gone.

(Author Notes)

*Trollfaic* Do ya hate me yet?

I LOVE me! Because I am me!

I've been DYING to write an MLP fanfic-

*PinkiePieFiesta pops up out of nowhere* "FOREVER~!"

GAH! PPF! Don't do that! I have a hard enough time living through Pinkie doing that!

"Oh c'mon GJ you know you love it! That's why Pinkie Pie is both our favorite pony!"

Um…Pinkie is my Third favorite pony out of the whole cast, canon and non-canon. I'm a Luna fanboy and I can't ignore that I adore Derpy but Pinkie is my favorite of the Mane cast.

"Oh…well do you like parties?"

Not really, no…I'm just strangely attracted to Pinkie's personality…and sugar, LOTS of sugar.


	2. Private Relations

_**Chaos Incarnate**_

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this story except Sanguine Shadowmane.

Beta: **PinkiePieFiesta**

_**Private Relations**_

After the dark flash was over, Sanguine and Clover found themselves standing on the hillock where Sanguine ascended. "Well, this is the safest teleport I can make right now Clover. I haven't exactly been to anywhere specific in this unfinished Canterlot than your bunkhouse."

"That's ok Sanguine; we're closer to the council building from here anyway." Clover began trotting into town, Sanguine following while acquainting himself with the area. "So Sanguine, what have you been doing since you ascended?"

"Well, I honestly spent a few days learning to fly, and I spent most of today flying to that lake you found me at. When I was there I let loose my power. It made the world, or at least that area, move on its own. The weather's effect you saw." Sanguine stated while realizing he was still slightly damp. Not enough to be indecent, but still unbecoming, so he passed a magical wave of heat and extremely dry air over his body to dry himself off.

"You can do that? Then do you think you can move the sun and moon?" Clover was honestly interested in Sanguine's new power. Not just because it's him, and that he's an Alicorn, but because this was more than likely a new facet of magic she had absolutely no experience in.

"Hm…the sun did shift slightly, while I had merely let my power free. I don't see why not. Why don't we see about that this evening, when it comes time to raise the moon?" Sanguine was interested in the idea. Sure he didn't like the idea of taking the responsibility of moving the very celestial bodies about, but he had a hunch about it all, and felt that it would be good to get intimate with the skies above.

"Excellent! I'll arrange it with the Sky Movers after the meeting. Speaking of which: we're here." Clover pointed out the only pure stone building in the budding city.

It was simple, but had the Unicorn elegance and intrinsic detail that magic masons were known for, markedly their smooth and near reflective bleach-white surfaces. It was three stories tall and shaped like a triangle, likely to represent the three tribes in both senses. The first floor's exterior walls were the best crafted, with the Platinum Family Crest engraved on either side of the door. Walking to either corner of the admittedly fairly large building, he saw similar doors.

At each corner there was a staircase leading up to the second floor doors, said floor's walls were plain-faced stone, with the small balconies overhanging the Unicorn entrances. On either side of these doors were hung banners emblazoned with Chancellor Puddinghead's emblem. This was normal for the Earth Pony Tribe, as they usually had a unique emblem for each successive chancellor.

Lastly, the top floor had what looked like clouds lightly etched into the exterior wall. Barely visible, and could only be seen from the sun's light refracting off the stone, and showing the shadows of the cloud's outlines. Those entrances were obviously purely for Pegasi, as they had large balconies overhanging both entrances below them, for the winged ponies to land and enter.

"I could understand the Pegasi getting the top floor, but why the balconies? Why not simply make rooftop entrances?" Sanguine asked Clover as he backed away to get another look at the honestly impressive building.

"Ah, we thought of that but Commander Hurricane; or Hurry as she doesn't mind being called, said that would waste useful space they'd need to coordinate local weather teams. Since the Pegasi offered to have the council chamber on their floor, they wanted the roof for their weather department." Clover informed Sanguine as she walked towards the door.

"So what's the building's name? Unicorn masons like to name their works." Sanguine asked as he looked at the artful, but functional building.

"Canterlot Council Corner. I know, corny huh?" Clover giggled at Sanguine's annoyed and disappointed expression.

"Granite Horn…he was also so unimaginative. Why didn't Princess Platinum at least task Marble Molder with this? Or Tartarus: even Bluestone?! At least Bluestone's work is colorful and eye-catching!" Sanguine's left eye twitched, as he continued to ignore the gaping ponies they passed.

"I know, I said the same thing! But no~! Everypony had to vote on Granite Horn! Sure the building's nice and ingeniously designed, but it's so…dull!" Clover admitted as she pointed out the pure white walls, floors and ceilings, only broken by each floor's unique running carpets, tapestries and other odds and ends.

"So…orderly…it disgusts me…something must be done about this…." Sanguine grumbled as they ascended the final staircase. Said staircases were at each corner of the building, meaning movement between floors was easy and efficient.

"Whoa! Those are some big wings!" Sanguine paused at the slightly cracking voice, before he gasped lightly at feeling somepony grabbing his left wing, and extending it out full since his muscles were relaxed. "Wow…they're beautiful!"

Sanguine looked to his left to see a cyan Pegasus mare, with rainbow mane and tail, in black painted bronze armor holding his wing, while hovering too. Sanguine shuddered, as he felt goosebumps spread through him when she ran a hoof along his feathers, making him blush. "Um…ma'am I don't mean to interrupt but…that's a rather sensitive spot…."

The mare looked at him and smirked, before running a hoof along the underside of his wing, and he had to strain not to groan from the stimulation. "Heh, you really must be new. Only newborn Pegasus foals or Pegasus mares in estrus have wings that sensitive. I'm Commander Hurricane, but beings my title and name are a bit long, just call me Hurry. I'm not one to be kept waiting."

Finally the frustrating mare released his wing, and he practically whipped it to his back, and pranced behind Clover for protection. "Clover! Protect me from that molester!" Sanguine demanded playfully.

"Oh~? Molester am I? Like that little bookworm will keep me from getting my hooves on you." Hurry jested as he waved her hooves at him like she was pretending to cast a spell or something, and the three started laughing. "Hey, I like this guy! I'd vote yay on him, but first we have to wait for the others. Fancy Prancy Platinum decided to go out for a lunch break, and Puddinghead is off…doing something…I can't figure that mare out."

"Hurry if anypony could figure that mare out, she wouldn't be chancellor. You know those Earth Ponies tend to have their kookiest and most creative ponies as leaders." Clover commented as she rolled her eyes before suddenly, Puddinghead popped out of Sanguine's mane!

"Hi!"

"BWAH!" Sanguine flung back and slammed into the wall behind him. "What? Where? WHO WAS THAT?!"

"Hi!" Sanguine jolted violently and almost screamed in surprise again as Puddinghead, in her full attire, popped up right in front of him this time, out of thin air! She then proceeded to gab at a speed incomprehensible! "I'm Puddinghead, leader of the Earth Ponies; it's so nice to meet other ponies! Especially one as interesting as you, not to say you wouldn't be interesting if you weren't an Immortal Alicorn, but being one makes meeting you even more exciting!"

"Um…." Sanguine was rather lost, as he could only stare at the light pink with poofy dark pink mane/tail mare in astonishment. "Hello…?"

"Hi!" She beamed back at him with the air of a total lovable ditz.

"Um…who are you?" Sanguine did not hear a word she said aside from "hi" and both times was rather uninformative. Besides, since when did "hi" translate into anything other than a greeting?

"Didn't you hear me you silly willy? I'm Chancellor Puddinghead! But after things are finished here, I might just be a representative. I tell ya, that'd be nice." She slowed down, thank Faust! "Smart Cookie!"

"What?" At the sudden outburst Sanguine was still confused, until an orange mare with charming white freckles and plain, straight blond mane/tail entered in informal work attire.

"Ah there ya are! Ah've been lookin for ya Puddinghead!" The assumed Smart Cookie walked up to the group. "I see Pansy isn't about, where is that mare?" Smart Cookie directed at Hurry who groaned.

"Pansy's been all googly-eyed at a stallion lately. I keep telling her that trying to court a Unicorn would be foolish. Relations between our tribes may have seriously improved, but I'd say by only roughly twenty percent at most." Hurry seemed annoyed, and Sanguine decided this would be a good topic to get a hoof in the door on.

"About that, I'm Sanguine Shadowmane: Alicorn of Chaos. I sense the Discord between your subjects even now. It is disparate and infrequent, but still there." Sanguine got acknowledgement from everypony present, but Hurry was the most interested.

"Um…hey, it'll be a while before Platinum gets back. She takes forever on her "lunch breaks", so could I ask you a favor?" Sanguine raised an eyebrow, only barely a few minutes and already asking favors. "I'll understand if you refuse, but it's more a personal request really."

"Well alright then. Ask away, but no guarantees." Sanguine waited as the mare fidgeted, not in embarrassment but genuine nervousness.

"Look, I might come off as a callous mare…." This was directed at everypony in the council chamber. "But I care for my soldiers. Pansy isn't exactly a prime example of soldier, that's why I keep her in reach. I can't stop worrying about that delicate mare. Now there's this stallion, and I'm worried he's going to hurt her. I'd like to see if I can't get some help grilling him, but keeping Pansy in the dark about it."

'Hm…a Loyal one is she? I don't see why I shouldn't help. "Very well. You wish for me to sense if he has any animosity towards you while you speak with him?" Hurry nodded.

"Yeah! If he can harbor feelings of hate for me that's fine, but I want you to try and tell if he has those feelings towards Pansy when I bring her up." Hurry pounded her hooves together once and everypony looked to each other.

"Oh, oh, oh! You'll need somepony to distract Pansy! Pick me! Pick me!" Puddinghead literally bounced around in a circle until Smart Cookie held her down, only for Puddinghead to start vibrating and shake them both.

"Perfect. I'll then keep her involved in a conversation, to ensure she doesn't wander back to what I assume she's doing: stalking this stallion." Clover both stated and asked Hurry who nodded. "Of course, she's too shy to confront him, but too head over hooves to stop considering it. Who's the stallion?"

"You might've heard of him. His name is Willow Walker." Hurry informed Clover and she blushed lightly. "Yeah, I know: a looker."

"Oh it's not just that. He's a very down-to-earth pony, who while a Unicorn, has traits strongly aligned to Earth Ponies. He's great with animals, but his magic specialty is the growing, enhancing and improving plants. He's currently working on a strain of trees with bark so hard it's comparable to diamond. I think he mentioned planning to name the breed Gembark." Clover prattled and everypony save Sanguine looked at her funny.

"That sounds impressive. If fire warding runes were engraved into the wood, those trees would be an amazing source of cheap armor, and sturdy building material." Sanguine saw the validity of such hardy trees quite well.

"Well handsome as all buck, and smart enough to interest Clover or not: where is this stallion? Platinum will only be an hour by now." Cookie pointed out and Hurry nodded.

"Follow me; I know where he's staying."

(Minutes later, halfway across town)

Sanguine poked his head around the corner of a ubiquitous wooden shack. Following his lead were all the ponies with him, all over his own head near the ground. He looked up to realize they were all standing on his back, and on each other's backs in a pony ladder. 'How did I not notice that without looking?'

"There he is." Hurry was on top and poked her hoof around the corner. They followed the direction and saw an earthy green Unicorn stallion with straight, well-kept evergreen mane and tail. Sanguine didn't swing that way, but he could see why the mares were interested. Willow was ironically, willowy. And by that definition he was tall, lithe, and graceful in a way that reminded him of those leggy and tall mares he'd seen noble stallions flaunting about like trophies.

Only he was a stallion, and his face was admittedly quite serene, with a mysterious and calm quality that was earnestly captivating, especially with his emerald eyes. Everything about this stallion screamed nature, his Cutie Mark of a blooming, vine-covered willow was the cherry on top.

Tartarus, even wherever he stepped on bare earth, small plants seemed to sprout! "Well…he's certainly something to gander at." Cookie admitted with a gulp and the mares all nodded.

"So what's the plan? Where's Pansy?" Sanguine asked, as he wanted to get this odd yet amusing situation over with, so they could get to business.

"Hi Pansy!" Suddenly, everypony jerked at Puddinghead's needlessly loud voice, and turned to look where Puddinghead USED to be: in the middle of the pony ladder. Only to find her gone, and they all collapsed into a heap. "What'cha doin'?!"

They all groaned as they turned their heads towards the voice and…ok nopony was going to believe this, seeing it or not. Overhead was Pansy, apparently hiding her head in a cloud like an ostrich, with Puddinghead standing on the cloud next to her. "What? How…when…never mind. I think my brain will cook if I try to wrap my thoughts around it." Clover moaned as everypony else silently agreed, as they gawked up at the reality defying pink mare.

Hurry however snapped out of it, and looked back towards Willow to see he hadn't noticed anything, and was currently tending to a small flowerbed. "He hasn't noticed! Everypony help Puddinghead keep Pansy distracted! I've got a stallion to interrogate!" Hurry zipped off the pile of ponies, and quickly nabbed Willow who yelped in surprise, before they both were inside a nearby shack, with the door slamming behind them.

"That's my cue!" Sanguine quickly wormed his way out of the bottom of the pile of mares, and sprinted to the shack, where he hid between the side of it and another shack next to it. 'Let's see if I can't deduce his feelings on the matter of inter-racial relationships.'

Not even bothering to listen in, or even to act as a sort of detector, Sanguine's horn became wreathed in darkness as his focus went entirely into the stallion's mind. Usually such a spell was outlawed, and only used in interrogation. Sanguine didn't care however, and delved in.

'Hm…interesting…so Hurry didn't really have anything to worry about. If anything she should be happy. Let's hope her confronting him about it doesn't change his mind.' Sanguine then trotted out from cover and to the mares; who had by now gotten Puddinghead and Pansy to ground, and were chatting about inane things. "Ladies, I have finished with my business. Ah, you must be this Pansy who I've heard about."

"Eep!" The lightly armored butter yellow Pegasus mare, with impressively voluminous light pink mane/tail, squeaked and hid behind the nearest pony, being Cookie. "…."

"Um…pardon me, but I didn't quite catch that." Sanguine was surprised, especially since his hearing is better than the average pony's.

"h-h-hello…." Pansy uttered quietly from behind Cookie who rolled her eyes.

"She says hi." Cookie clarified. After that it became obvious that Pansy wasn't going to have much to say to Sanguine. "So where's Hurry?" Shortly after Cookie's question, the Pegasus in question flew up to them with a pleased appearance.

"Ok Pansy, I've talked to Willow, and he wants to see you tomorrow evening at the overlook at sunset." Hurry reported with a pleased smile, and Pansy quickly bolted from behind Cookie with a huge blush.

"O-oh my…Commander you didn't have to do that…." Pansy scrapped a forehoof on the ground and Hurry snorted.

"Please Pansy; you would never have gotten the courage to ask him yourself. You're too timid, you need some assertiveness." Hurry stated and Pansy sighed before shaking her head.

"Oh no, it isn't that. I would have just approached him sooner…if he was a Pegasus…." This got everyone's ear by their surprise. "I was worried…what if other ponies ostracized us? What if they didn't want a Pegasus and a Unicorn to be together?"

This honestly got everypony concerned, but none more than Sanguine. 'Is it that bad? I know the bias and the rivalry is seething beneath the surface, but would they all really lash out so cruelly at ponies trying to move forward?' "Don't concern yourself with it for now. Clover, beings you can track me over great distances, could you please locate Platinum for us? I wish to get this meeting started."

"Oh, um, sure Sanguine. Give me a second." Clover focused her magic and shortly, her horn seemed to tug her in a direction. "She's this way." Clover took the lead and followed the pull of her horn.

"What spell is that? It's not one of the tracking spells I remember Star Swirl teaching us." Sanguine was impressed with the spell, because unlike the tracking spells he knew, it didn't seem to require having left an imprint on the item or pony sought after. At least that's what he assumed, considering she casted no such thing on him and she still found him.

"Oh no, I invented it!" Clover beamed and Sanguine was pleasantly surprised. "It's rather simple really. Once I've met somepony, I can recognize their magic signature. From there, all I have to do is focus on the pony and cast the spell. Can't put too much into it though, or you'll get dragged along like a carriage without wheels." That last part made everypony cringe.

"Well then, it doesn't work on inanimate objects, but so long as you've met the target it will track them without fail?" Sanguine felt that while limited in being unable to find objects, the ability to track down ponies from anywhere sounded like a good skill to have, especially for hunting down escaped prisoners.

"Well, basically. However I've tested that it can be blocked by anti-detection barriers like all other detection spells. I'm still trying to find out a canceling spell without having to resort to the Null spell, because by then magic would be pointless." Clover looked ahead and shrieked, as she turned her spell off since it was leading her off the west cliff, which was the furthest edge of the plateau Canterlot was being built. "Oh, and the drag effect can only take you on the most direct path…what is Princess Platinum doing off the cliff?"

"Did the gal fall?" Cookie asked worriedly as she looked down the sudden drop-off.

"Oh my goodness…I hope she's ok." Pansy stated as Hurry flew off the cliff and looked at it.

"Hey! I see a crack in the cliff! It's pretty big too!" Hurry pointed out and Sanguine hummed before he flew down next to her and looked at it. "There, see it?"

"Yes, it is quite large." Sanguine flew down to it and held his hoof to it, feeling a pull of air being sucked in by a draft. "It's a cave. Hold on everypony!" Sanguine backed off and everypony else got away from the edge of the cliff. "I need to be precise with this, don't want half of Canterlot falling down the mountain." Sanguine charged darkness into his horn and then carefully blasted a continuous beam at the crack. He progressively made the crack larger until he could fit through it and he flew into the cave.

"Oh thank Faust! I thought I was done for!" A sudden whiny voice practically shrilled, and Sanguine looked into the darkness to see a roughed-up white Unicorn with exquisite clothing befitting a mare of her station, although said clothing was torn, filthy and shorn for mobility. "Beautiful cave or not, I do not wish to die before I have foals."

"Pardon me my lady. But are you Princess Platinum?" Sanguine asked politely, and the mare quickly straightened herself up as much as she could, before clearing her throat and bowing.

"Honorable Alicorn. I: Princess Platinum, extend to you my sincerest gratitude, for having found me in my hour of need. No truly, I've been down here for an hour and already I'm sick of this place." Platinum cast a light spell and the cavern lit up to reveal it was practically made entirely of crystal. "Beautiful yes, a way back out? No."

"Amazing…this place could be turned into a mine; so Equestria could have a luxury resource to trade with other nations for more strategic resources. How did you stumble across this wondrous place Princess Platinum?" Sanguine asked as he gazed about in awe. The only other place he had seen so much crystal was the Crystal Empire itself, but that's because the region actually grows an organic form of crystal.

"Please, just Platinum. I fear the other tribes do not appreciate the Unicorn tribe trying to retain the title of princess. To answer your question, I have quite literally "stumbled" into this cave, via a hole in the ceiling, hidden by grass and shrubbery." Platinum informed him. "So~ my tall, dark and handsome stallion. How is it that you have found me?"

"Oh~ my refined, brilliant and elegant mare. The credit for finding you lies with Clover; she cast the spell to find you so that we may hold the meeting regarding this alliance becoming unified under me as your prince or whatnot." Sanguine informed her.

"Oh. That was today? I thought we sent Clover to find you days ago. Where were you to keep her so long?" Platinum asked in curiosity, as somepony would have to be really far to hold Clover off their trail for so long.

"A good travel to the south, at a grand lake, near a great forest. I believe you can see both of them from the south cliff. Regardless, we've dallied her long enough. I'll bring us to the surface." Sanguine teleported them back to the group who were waiting. "Sorry I took so long."

"No worries, Platinum's a chatterbox." Hurry sniped and Platinum leered at her.

"Regardless. I have accidentally discovered a massive crystal deposit in the cliff under the plateau. We must search the surface for any entrances, and cordon them off for safety, as I fell into one such entrance. Sanguine has stated that mining it would be beneficial, as then we'll have a valuable commodity to trade with other nations for resources." Platinum informed them while turning her nose up at Hurry; who was honestly impressed with the find.

"Well, whatever. I'll get the word out to my soldiers to do that tomorrow morning; the sun's getting a bit close to setting." Hurry pointed out the sun, and Clover gasped before she quickly teleported away. "Where'd she go?"

Clover quickly reappeared. "Sorry. Ok Sanguine! I just passed word on to the Sky Movers. "Give it a try." Everypony was confused as Sanguine focused his powers and "reached" out and latched onto the sun. Only….

"Ha, ha, ha~! I knew it! The sun doesn't move around the sky! The land turns and makes it look like the sun is moving!" Sanguine elatedly stated and this went clear over most of the group, sans Clover who became giddy.

"So Coltifer's theory that the world is round is true?! Now that an Alicorn has confirmed it, all those closed-minded scholars will be proven wrong! So that's why it takes so much power: we've been trying to move the sun, when we should've been trying to move the land beneath our feet!" Clover pranced in place, giddy as a school filly.

"Yes, yes. Tell the Sky Movers they can relax about their former duty." Sanguine let his power loose, and focused it into the very world beneath him and the sun promptly set in a beautiful display. But the moon didn't rise. "Now hold on…." Sanguine reached out into the sky and looked for the moon, and when he found it he pulled it over the horizon, it was a waxing gibbous tonight. "But the moon DOES move around the world! Interesting…I like the moon better."

Everypony was gob smacked. They had a pony that could single-hoofedly move the sky, or the whole world according to him and Clover. "Everypony for Prince Sanguine say aye. Aye!" Pudding head suddenly put out.

"Aye!" Hurry followed enthusiastically.

"Aye! I'm absolutely impressed! He's just what we need." Platinum looked upon him with awe and Sanguine blushed slightly before he cleared his throat.

"Then it is official. Then; as my first law: Anypony may enter marriage with anypony else of any race or gender without persecution." Sanguine was looking at Pansy as he said this to her amazement. Everypony blinked and then smiled as Clover wrote it down on a convenient scroll. "My second law: Zero Tolerance for Racism!" This surprised everypony. "Anypony found guilty of a hate crime will be arrested, given lashes and imprisoned for a seven day period! Repeat offenders will be imprisoned for a month."

"Um, Sanguine. Isn't that a bit extreme?" Platinum asked and Sanguine shifted his eyes to her and made her sweat.

"I will not accept anypony to discriminate against other beings, regardless of what they are. This land is to be a land of equality and fairness to all. If I allowed ponies to be bias without fair or logical reason suiting the situation, then it would be no different if I left you three tribes to knock heads. I'm here to fix that, and if I have to hold your hooves down with shackles to make you see that, I will." His eyes began to glow. "Nopony has any right to defy the rights of their fellow ponies! That is all for today. Set things in motion, and should you need me or wish to report: send Clover. She can somehow find me anywhere."

Sanguine flashed away in shadows back to that lake. He had a Chaos-aligned forest to get acquainted with.

(Author Notes)

"Wow~! So Sanguine is a tyrannical Liberal?"

Yeah, figured he'd make some waves with that. Being a tyrant usually lends you to being a Conservative, but I decided he'd be a groundbreaking ruler from the word go.

*Pinks opens book on politics and adjusts her "Rarity" glasses* "So what label does that get him?"

Pinks, I hate politics so I couldn't give two blinks to it. As far as I'm concerned diplomacy is dead, and all around the world everyone is engaged fully in "Shotgun Diplomacy" already.

"Like the Middle East? Or Africa? Or Syria?

I don't touch on war either Pinks, even if WWII is one of my favorite history subjects.

"Why?"

History and it's the biggest war the world has ever seen: and let's hope it stays that way.


	3. Let it be, Everfree

_**Chaos Incarnate**_

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this story except Sanguine Shadowmane, Gareth Salisbury is PinkiePieFiesta's.

Beta: **PinkiePieFiesta**

_**Let it Be, Everfree**_

Sanguine reappeared next to the lake, and he looked to the sky. Away from the lanterns and guard patrols of a town or city, the sky was its most brilliant. 'I will never tire of this sight. The moon is the most beautiful of all, the stars a mere extra on the grand canvas above.' After several moments of appreciating the sky, Sanguine looked to the now much darker forest. 'Would it really be wise to enter such a place at night? Powerful I may be, but my traveling experience demands that I wait for the morning.'

Sanguine decided to stick with the caution his adventures had instilled in him. After all, while he might not fear the dark, to tempt what the darkness hides is folly. His long and drawn-out battle with the Chaotic spirit of Darkness itself; being the penultimate experience of having to fight against the very darkness, rather than anything it hid. Such a thing: fighting an essence, a presence that is all encompassing. Truly he is fortunate to not have gone mad and fallen to the being.

Sanguine looked to his shadowy mane and tail: the ultimate proof of the spirit's influence on him. Ironically, it was perfect to suit his full name: Sanguine Shadowmane. Ever since he ascended into an Alicorn, both before and after the Immortal ascension, he felt comfortable, content and even happy when in darkness, or at least out of direct light. And ironically, he could see better in darkness than in light, but then again the darkness is in his nature now.

Sanguine looked upon the smooth glass-like surface of the lake as it reflected the night sky. He was surprised when looking upon himself that he didn't notice this before: his eyes swapped their colors every time he blinked.

His left was red with gold, and right was gold with red, and when he blinked: it was the other way around. 'I'm surprised none of the mares mentioned it. Especially Clover.' Sanguine then backed away, and looked at the field around him. 'Hm…perfect.' Sanguine flew a short distance from the lake, to be near the center of the field before it was interrupted on any edge. Sanguine then focused, and his horn became wreathed in shadows.

With a dark flash of shadows; a small sapling quickly sprouted and then shot up. Within moments a massive, and very wide, black-barked oak had grown in the field. Then just as suddenly, a door seemed to carve itself out of the front facing away from the lake, and another facing towards it, and in various places; windows carved themselves out. Within moments, a massive traditional tree home was created. Similar to the ones the Unicorns of the secluded village of Hollow Shades are accustomed to creating.

Only the bark was black, and the leaves an eerie ethereal white-gray that seemed to glow in the moonlight. In fact, that glow wasn't just from the silvery moonlight. Shortly, the lines in the bark began to glow silver themselves, creating an eerily beautiful display. 'I am glad that Star Swirl introduced us to the nature magic of Hollow Shades. Those secluded ponies are as mysterious as they are innovative. From the looks of things, I believe Willow Walker might be from Hollow Shades. I'll have to ask if I get the chance.'

Sanguine entered the dark tree home and closed the door. The only light in the tree was the bright moonbeams that seemed to shoot through the darkness like silver spears. Right there in the main room, Sanguine cast another spell and a large simple bed appeared before him. It wasn't anything special, just an item that Sanguine kept keyed to his magic so he could summon it easily.

'Ah old friend, shall we have a wonderful night as always?' Sanguine chuckled to himself as he crawled onto the bed, and forwent the covers for the brisk night air.

(In the morning)

The sun rose and when the light hit Sanguine's face he jolted awake and cursed. "Horseapples! Did the Sky Movers have to do it?" Sanguine then summoned a scroll of paper, thankfully the Unicorns had developed a way to make paper with some basic spells, so no rough etchings or cloth was used. He quickly used his mane to oddly stain out a message and he then sent it off. "Oh great, please don't tell me I've already screwed up on the second day."

Moments later, a return message popped up in front of him. "…It rose without their interference?" He had sent the message to Clover; who quickly confirmed the Sky Movers had not interfered. She then had asked that if he didn't move the sky, or world, or whatever: then what did? 'Good question Clover….' Sanguine focused and reached out to the world, and was surprised. 'So what I felt was true. This world just needs a touch, a little nudge of Chaos, and it will more or less manage itself.'

Sanguine smirked as he wrote back his observations, and left the fairly small abode. Although it was a large tree, it wasn't fully grown yet. When he looked back, the leaves were now golden, and the lines in the bark were too. 'Ah, the Celestial Oak. My favorite tree. Beautiful at all times, but I prefer it at night.'

Sanguine then looked to the lighter, but still somewhat dark forest. "Time to explore!" Sanguine trotted across the field, and the decently sized river, by casting a water walking spell, and proceeded to leisurely walk west along the forest's treeline.

(A few hours later)

"Goodness, this is quite an unstable ridge." Sanguine was staying along the northern edge of the forest. He had traveled west, and found that it eventually led into a large bog that was heavily populated with frogs, and just south of that was a massive, intimidating gorge. So he flew back to his temporary abode, and then went east along the edge of the forest. So now he found himself carefully traversing an enormous ridge, spanning what seemed to be the whole northeast edge of the forest.

'I can see much from up here, but it's mostly rolling waves of canopy. However, I do see a promising small mountain next to the river running through the forest, fed by that lake, which I now know is fed by the waterfalls from Canterlot.' Sanguine spread his wings, and flew towards the small mountain's peak.

The small mountain was still deep in the forest, and was essentially the furthest from the plains, and that lake he started from. When he landed on the snowless and plant-free mountain, he looked around and could easily see all of the forest to the plains to the northwest, the ridge to the north-northeast, and the closer regions of the arid lands to the south.

"This place is beautiful, free from the order and law of society. Chaos reigns here…I love it." Sanguine took a deep breath of the surprisingly cold, damp air. He was enjoying the ironic serenity of it before something interfere-.

"HELP! I…can't…breathe!" Sanguine looked around for the source of the voice, and to his confusion found, of all things: a talking goldfish. "You there! Please…put me in the spring over yonder…." Sanguine looked around, and saw a very small nearby mountain spring. Without hesitating, Sanguine picked the goldfish up with his magic, and hurriedly put him in it. Moments later the fish broke the surface. "Ah~! Thank you! You've saved me."

"Um…it was the least I could do. Had I seen you I would've helped you anyway." Sanguine then quirked an eyebrow. "However, just how in the blue blazes did you find yourself flopping about all the way up here?"

"Ah, yes, embarrassing that. You see, I was just swimming along, minding my own business; when I was suddenly yanked into a current. That current was this mountain spring, and I was tossed out where you found me." The goldfish pointed out the small yet consistent waterfall that gushed into the small spring's pond, which seemed to drain elsewhere into the mountain, through the numerous cracks in the bottom of the pond.

"Oh, so you're from the river below?" Sanguine was confused about this spring. Having the water be pulled all the way up here was quite unnatural, as he doubted with the angle of the river that it was fed by natural forces.

"Oh no, actually let me introduce myself. My name is Gareth Salisbury of Pondingham. I am a great magical wish-granting fish. For having saved my life, I could extend a wish to you, but first I must ask a favor." Gareth's words surprised Sanguine, as tales of wish-granting fish was an old foal's tale: something to feed their imagination and nothing more.

"Ha! If that is so, then I would wish for a home befitting me in this forest. Sure, I could conjure a great Celestial Oak, but I do not think the encroaching vegetation of this forest would be suited to its solitary nature." Sanguine started sarcastically, but then was honestly considering it.

Gareth got a gleam to his eye as he smiled. "Well then, fulfill my task and I shall grant it. The choice is yours; mighty God of Chaos." Gareth smirked impishly at Sanguine's shock to the title hoisted on him.

"I am NO god! Just powerful; and ageless. What is your task Mr. Salisbury? I will accomplish this even without reward, if only to amuse myself." Sanguine smirked, as he was always one for adventure.

"Simple: eradicate the Blood Hooves that infest this forest." Gareth's statement was met with silence, and shock. "Unexpected, wasn't it?"

"Yes…I knew Blood Hooves existed, but what depraved, sick mind would dare cast a spell from the Necroneighmicon?" Sanguine growled at this. Star Swirl had taught him and Clover; that the Necroneighmicon was written by Mother Faust's third son: Doctor Faust.

He was named Doctor because Faust could tell that, like her other children, that he already had an innate talent. Through most of his life, Doctor Faust was a loved and respected healer. He was said to be able to heal any injury, cure any ailment and save a life even on the very brink.

However, towards the end of his life, after having already had children and lost his wife in an accident, he grew bitter and resentful of death itself. Thus did Doctor commit the first of the greatest atrocities to magic: Necromancy.

Doctor theorized that if he could save a life, why not pull that life back? Why not force it to "live" on? Through his secret experiments, and hidden practices, as more and more ponies died on his operating table, Doctor developed his dark, cursed art of unlife with their bodies.

Thus when Mother Faust had discovered her son's folly, it was too late. Doctor had transformed himself into the first Lich, and raised his wife from the dead so that they might spend eternity together. Seeing this new dark craft as a blessing; Doctor, in his madness, commanded his hundreds of Blood Hooves: the first zombies, to spread his "gift" to ponykind.

So it was this that Mother Faust retaliated and with pain, brought judgment to her son, and laid all the risen dead to rest. However, even she could not destroy the abomination that was the Necroneighmicon. It has resurfaced countless times through known history, and its current whereabouts have likely just been revealed to Sanguine.

"Even if you had not asked it of me, if I had found any trace of those abominations; I would have done it regardless. I suppose it is well that the tribes have been more concentrated in our former lands to the far north, before it became the Frozen North. And be it even better, that I came to this forest before any settlers did." Sanguine looked down at the enchanting Chaotic forest, now knowing the danger it held. "Where can I find the hole these creatures hide?"

"In a cave, just to the northwest: in the very center of the forest. You can't miss it; just ask the Ursa Major where the dead walk." Gareth then swam down to the floor of his small clean spring.

"I shall." Sanguine took flight.

(Several minutes later)

It was harder to find than Gareth stated.

At first he thought he could spot it from above, but the thick canopy blocked all sight into the dark forest below. Sanguine while brave, and powerful, was no fool. And night vision or no, he wasn't about to dive nose first into a forest possibly filled with Blood Hooves. 'Curse you Doctor, and your dark craft. It is because of you that everypony instinctively fears the dark.'

Sanguine eventually found a large rock that poked through the canopy. He landed on it and carefully scaled down it, watchful of any sudden attacks. When he got down it, he found it was the upraised entrance to a massive cave. "Is this the cave Gareth spoke of?" Suddenly, a giant bear that seemed to be made of the night sky, stars and all, and easily was as tall as most castle towers; burst from the cave and roared at him. Sanguine simply stood stock still and blankly waited for the beast to finish. "Are you quite done?"

At his question the Ursa Major stopped and eyed Sanguine in confusion.

"Mighty Ursa! I come here to slay the undead! I beseech you: tell me where the dead walk." Sanguine stayed cordial, but felt he had to shout so that the giant beast could hear him. 'Perhaps I should develop a form of spell that broadcasts the voice over great distances, and can be clearly heard from far away.'

The Ursa instantly calmed and nodded to him. The great beast lumbered over him and Sanguine followed. A few minutes later, the Ursa stopped by a crack in the rocks of a small clearing. Immediately the Ursa roared and slammed its left paw into the crack, widening it greatly. "Thank you great beast. Might I ask that you stand guard here, and keep them from escaping?"

Sanguine was really expecting the celestial bear to leave, but instead the bear sat and nodded to him. 'Intelligent, perhaps I could help Clover develop that animal speech spell; it would be nice to be able to understand less communicable beings.' Sanguine steeled himself, and then plunged into the darkness.

It was a rather decent length descent, as Sanguine had to open his wings to avoid dying from the fall. Immortal or not, it would still REALLY hurt to have to wake up later with a body-wide unbearable pain. Sanguine wasn't genuinely worried for his life to be honest. Legend has it that there are only a few things that can resolutely kill an Immortal Alicorn.

First is obviously: another Immortal Alicorn. Second would be a raw magical force of the world, such as the shadow spirit Sanguine had faced to become an Immortal Alicorn. Third would be a force of magic, pony-made or not, so great that it would bypass the nigh-immortality of an Immortal Alicorn.

The Necroneighmicon was an example of the third kind of death, and is also the hardest to achieve. 'I'd best be careful. Blood Hooves might "kill" me, and then I'd have to somehow reassemble myself. Don't want to imagine the pain from that. And as for the Necroneighmicon; I just have to neutralize its wielder.'

Sanguine landed and looked around…and was immediately underwhelmed. 'Well, this isn't nearly as bad as I thought.' Sanguine was referring to the fact that although he was surrounded by hundreds of snarling zombies, they weren't genuine Blood Hooves. Whoever this necromancer was, they were clearly unskilled; as this small army of zombies are actually a massive number of animal body parts, assembled into a rough pony shape. Thus these weren't Blood Hooves, but mere Bloods. Far dumber and extremely fragile constructs compared to a genuine Blood Hoof.

'Now where's the necromancer….' Sanguine immediately flew up as the horde of zombies rushed him. Unfortunately for them: this near pitch-darkness was Sanguine's element. If they were true Blood Hooves this would have been infinitely harder, but as it was they were merely snarling, jumping, and climbing over each other trying to get to him in the air. 'Such pitiful creatures. I'll lay these poor animals to rest.'

Sanguine then easily grasped the very darkness around him, and enveloped the entire horde in such a heavy miasma of dark magic, that soon after: a stomach flipping squelch, and crunching of bones told of the horde's fate. This was a spell that the shadow spirit loved, and tried to kill him with many times before it fell to his horn.

Darkness magic, of which Shadow magic is a sub-category, is extremely heavy. Dark magic is the broad category, and is then divided between physical, and mystical like normal magic. Sanguine specializes mostly in mystical spells, meaning while immaterial the spells have obvious effects. But that doesn't mean that he didn't have skill in physical magic. His Shadow Teleport and Plant Growth spell being good examples.

Sanguine surveyed the slaughter beneath him, looking it over for the necromancer, only to find nothing. He then cast his senses out further, and had a sense of mortal dread shoot up his spine. 'If there is anything that can inspire the instinctive fear of death itself into an immortal, it would have to be the Necroneighmicon.' Sanguine fought with his instincts and sought out the source. Soon, he found it.

The Necroneighmicon was without a wielder, and instead seemed to be wrapped in the roots of the trees above. It would appear that the book itself had been using the power of the forest to raise the dead, but beings there are no ponies or other truly sentient life here, it made do with the residents. Sanguine severed the roots and freed the book from the wooden clutches.

The book itself was a disgusting thing. The upper skull of a pony had been whittled down and magically bonded to the front cover of it. The spine; was literally the shaped spine of a pony. The cover itself was obviously magically preserved pony flesh, being covered in a coarse ruddy-brown fur coat. And the pages, when Sanguine got the courage to open the carved bone latch, were made of parchment. Dried animal skins were outlawed early on in society, even long before Doctor made this revolting text. The words were deep red, written in blood. And every single fiber of the book was wreathed in the power of death.

'This thing…why didn't Mother Faust at least cast it into the sun?! Such a monstrosity should be destroyed, but if even she couldn't destroy it, then what possibly could?' Sanguine then closed it after seeing the very sinister recipe for rhubarb pie on the last page, who knew you could make pie evil? Not to mention the recipes for cupcakes, cakes and "fruit" punch just before it…Blood Hoof cuisine was extremely cannibalistic.

"So what should I do with you, vile thing? Clearly whenever you have been locked away, you merely spirit off to someplace like this." Sanguine thought deeply, ignoring the evil whispers of the book, when he looked out of the distant crack in the ceiling. 'Perhaps I should bring the book to Gareth; he seemed to know much about all this.' Sanguine shuddered when he clutched the grimoire to his chest, the skull seemed to nuzzle to his fur, and the whispers intensified. 'I best hurry; I don't wish to tempt myself with the powers of this book.'

Sanguine took flight and upon exit from the crevice, the Ursa nodded before leaving for his cave.

During the flight towards the small mountain peak, Sanguine was getting scared. The longer he was holding the book, the more he swore that it was connecting with him. The whispers were becoming quiet speech, the voices concentrating into a single voice. A mare's to be exact. And she was mostly commenting on how nice it felt to be held by a pony again.

Sanguine could only guess that this voice, this persona, was the Necroneighmicon. Or specifically: the pony that the skull, cover, spine and latch came from. Beings the skull was obviously female, he hadn't put much thought into it before now. Just as he hadn't noticed the passage of time, and that the sun was setting, truly on its own as well. 'It's quite beautiful, seeing the sun set without somepony to force it to.'

"I know, especially after so long."

Sanguine froze up, and almost fell into the forest. Somehow he retained the will to keep holding the grimoire to his chest, as he stalled to a hover. "H-hello?"

"Hello there stud. So you're my new master?" Sanguine looked down to his chest, and then held out the Necroneighmicon. "Mm…you look even better in clear view, and I was enjoying the close-up of your chest well enough. You have strong muscle fibers, tendons and bones. You would make a mighty Lich." The skull's eyes were aglow, the same color as the fur cover.

"Well sorry to disappoint, but I'm not your new master, and if I have my way, you'll never have a master again." Sanguine steeled himself; he'd heard the Necroneighmicon was potent and alluring. Hearing her words: she was also a seductress. This goes a long, long way in explaining: how she lured more stallions than mares into her thrall, not to say there wasn't a fair share of fillyfoolers back then either.

"Oh…a straight-laced magister hm? Very well, you'll come around in your latter years, as death approaches, I'll wait." Sanguine raised an eyebrow at the rather blunt statement.

"I'm an immortal: I'm never going to die of age…sadly…." Sanguine cringed at remembering that. Sure he knew he couldn't really die from anything less than this grimoire, or another being of his kind, but still…kinda stings.

"…BUCK NUGGETS!" At her loud exclamation, Sanguine flinched as she started ranting angrily to herself about her rotten luck. "Of all the…WHY an immortal? Damn it all to Tartarus! What good is a book, if nopony will read her?" Now here's where it got interesting…the Necroneighmicon was expressing sadness.

"What good is a book, if its knowledge corrupts? Knowledge is meant to inform, not enslave, which you've done unknowable times. If it means keeping everypony safe from you, I'll lock you in my own study, and learn everything you have. If only to know every weakness your cursed spells have." Sanguine snarled at her, and then began to fly to the mountain peak again.

"Oh~…so strong willed. I will enjoy watching you fumble for my spells immortal, when those around you begin to die, and you are left alone." Her words stabbed his heart like spears of red ice, which burned as well as froze. "You know it to be true, you are weak, you will succumb to my art like all those before you."

"All the more reason; for me to find a way to lock you away: permanently." Sanguine then used his magic to enclose the grimoire in darkness, then a barrier. It won't destroy it, gosh no, the book's too strong for that. But it will suppress it, and keep its influence in check. "I should have done that sooner, before it made me think of the inevitable…."

(Several minutes later)

Sanguine landed on the peak, and practically flung the book into Gareth's spring, where the magic goldfish easily evaded the impulsive projectile. "Ah, I see she got on your nerves. She does that."

"How much have you known Gareth? That…THING…dared to declare me weak, and that I would give in to her temptations." 'I won't admit it aloud…but currently I am. I had best sequester the Necroneighmicon away from myself for a few generations.' "Beings you are of some apparent power Gareth, do you have a place to contain that…abomination?"

"Hm, hm, hm…not yet…not yet my friend. You must first make your wish…what was it again?" Gareth slyly reminded Sanguine with a twinkle to his eyes.

"Well…it was mostly an idle thought earlier, but I've considered it…and I would love to have a proper residence here: in this forest of Chaos. A home worthy of me: the Prince of Equestria, which is a newfound nation; which will have this forest well within its borders." Sanguine clarified, and shortly the spring began to glow, the light of the moon intensified; and a condensed moonbeam shot into the spring.

Then, Gareth himself shined silver instead of gold. His shape shifted until the light ended. Floating before Sanguine was no longer a mere goldfish; but a Giant Super-Manly Silverfish Genie, that looked like a hornless and furless silver-scaled Minotaur, with a flipper instead of legs, and a dorsal ridge as a mohawk. Gareth floated in the air, as if he were in water still, and he didn't have any trouble breathing. "THE PROPHECY HAS BEEN FULFILLED!" Gareth flexed his muscles, and they twitched and rippled, as sparkles glittered around him. He then pounded the back of his fists together, and flexed some more. "IT SHALL BE DONE!"

Gareth then twisted his hands, and made a double fist, before smashing the mountain they were atop. Quickly, and all too impressively, the mountain began to morph before Sanguine's eyes. The rock, like liquid, rushed about into a new shape.

Sanguine hovered into the air to watch, as in the moonlight: a glorious castle was hewn directly from the former mountain. A tall tower was the center, peaking at where the mountain peak once was. Around the base, of the tall, wide, tower was a sizable keep. Surrounding that: were the grounds; and surrounding the grounds, were the mighty walls, with four smaller towers facing the cardinal directions: making the sides face the ordinal directions.

She was beautiful, even having grand stained glass windows that were simple in design, and told no story. The odd thing was: despite being the castle of a being of Chaos, in a place that was a font of Chaos: the castle was perfectly ordered thing. It was completely symmetrical, nothing out of place. The only thing that offset this was the drawbridge on the northwest side of the wall, which connected the castle with the other side of the ravine. This was obviously done since that was the general direction of Canterlot.

Not to mention everything was perfectly smooth, no bricks, no tiles, nothing to suggest that the castle wasn't made by nature itself. Sanguine flew to the top of the tower, where a fountain stood in the center, with no statue, it simply sprayed the water a few feet into the air, and sitting upon the top of the spout was Gareth, reclining as if it were his throne. Which it very much seemed to be: as the water floated beneath him, like an actual seat.

"I hope that this is to your liking Sanguine. I've been waiting centuries since Mother Faust told me of your arrival." Gareth held the darkness-enshrouded book out, and patted the obscured skull. "I have known of Her intrusion in this sacred place for many years, however without a pact, I had become weak, and unable to handle the situation. So I had no choice but to wait, until my new contractor appeared."

"Wait…you ARE a Genie! And…are the other tales true? Do I have two more wishes?" Sanguine was getting giddy, like a colt, at the prospect of a childhood story being true.

"No…that one was made by Mother Faust: she felt it added a bit more wonder to the tale. Only one wish, but as my contractor, or in other words: my Master, you can ask me of anything. I draw my power from our mutual contract, so long as I am in your service, I may do as you wish, so to say you have infinite wishes, but nothing so grand as the tales." Gareth chuckled as he dropped the evil grimoire into the spring, and it iced over save the spout that simply became still water, if such a thing was imaginable.

"Will that really seal the book?" Sanguine was worried; he didn't want that temptation anytime soon, or at all really.

"Yes and no. The book will not escape my vigil, but should someone else seek it…well…that is why it is here. Pegasi may reach here with ease, but only I, you, or a powerful Unicorn may unseal the fountain. Now, Master, what will you name this place?" At Gareth's question, Sanguine looked below at his new castle, and beyond at the large oppressive forest spanning beyond.

"…I wish…I desire this place to be free, as it is. Free from control, free from civilization: let my castle be the only lasting sign of it. Forever Free…I shall name this forest: Everfree. And my castle: Everfree Castle by extension." Sanguine smiled, as he looked at his own personal kingdom. While it may not have subjects to rule over, the land rules everything on its own.

And that is without doubt, a form of Chaos Incarnate.

(Author Notes)

"Oh~! So THAT'S where this version of Everfree Castle came from? The Giant Super-Manly Goldfish Genie that you inspired me to draw?"

Yep, so Sanguine had a cozy home-away-from-home to avoid politics whenever he could.

"You're ignoring the fact that you inspired me and then I inspired you, but fine. But what about it supposed to be being the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters?"

Inconsistent titles are inconsistent. Canterlot came first according to Hearth Warming's Eve lore: and that is what I'm following.

"Also, you're following Celestia's word of mouth about how Equestria was ruled by Discord long before she and Luna came along, right?"

Is it that obvious? I hope so.

"You're so transparent I can see through you!" *Pinks waves hoof on other side of Game's head and can see an outline of her hoof through him*

Pinks please don't turn me into a Crystal Pony without my consent.

"But I DIDN'T! *GASP* you're a Crystal Pony!"

*sighs tiredly*


	4. Drawing Borders

_**Chaos Incarnate**_

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this story except Sanguine Shadowmane, Gareth Salisbury is PinkiePieFiesta's, Kali is both of ours.

Beta: **PinkiePieFiesta**

_**Drawing Borders**_

Sanguine snorted awake once more from the sun shining brightly on his face. "Mm…it will take a while yet, to get used to the sun and moon moving without aid." Sanguine stood up from his large, luxurious canopy bed, and stepped down to the floor.

Sanguine has, of course, been living in his new home: Castle Everfree, since Gareth created it a week ago.

The massive castle, which it is, as it used to be the mountain, has been undergoing constant improvements since the first night. Especially since on that first night, both Sanguine, and Gareth, embarrassingly shared his small one-pony bed, which he summoned from the Celestial Oak in the field to the northwest.

So Gareth, in his new position of being Sanguine's personal attendant, had decided that the beds would be first. Since Gareth had great Physical magic power, he could easily manipulate any resources from the forest into the materials he needed to craft anything really. So for their canopy beds, he just used the natural fibers from vines as the base for cloth, wild cotton for the stuffing of pillows and the beds, and the easiest of course, was molding the wood from trees.

So to say: they had everything they needed, and Gareth would make it happen.

He even followed the color scheme that Sanguine wanted: Black base, with heavy equal accents of red and gold. That way the castle would match him, and look very regal at the same time. The dyes were easy enough to make from plants, but Sanguine had the interesting request that the red dye be carmine, which was the natural base color of the dye made from cochineal: a parasitic insect.

Although unusual, and to some extremists: cruel. Making dyes from creatures like insects wasn't really immoral, or degenerate in pony society. However, the amount of cochineal needed for this…well…let's say Everfree won't have a decent population of cochineal again for a couple generations, insects bounce back, always do.

However, while Gareth was a Master of Physical magic, Sanguine was, in his humble opinion: a Journeyman at Mystical magic, while barely an Apprentice at Physical magic. Surely his Darkness and Shadow spells are easily Expert to Master spells, but those were gained from the shadow spirit. His own normal spells were moderate at best. Sure he's been able to work well with them, tying objects to a summon rune, even growing plants like the Celestial Oak.

But they were stable, static spells he learned from Star Swirl. They seemed impressive, but so long as you knew what you were doing, they were easy and safe, with no way to change them. Because to change them, would mean you had exceeded their difficulty.

Sanguine shook his head, thinking back to his lessons with Star Swirl so suddenly was a common thing for him. Easily brought on too, as just thinking of Gareth's great power caused him to consider his own magical inadequacy. 'What kind of ruler am I? If I can name numerous ponies stronger than me, how can I say that I lead them in any way?' Sanguine climbed down one of the stairwells, his room being at the top of the central tower.

'My power is great, without doubt. But my skill is lacking. I still have yet to learn any of the standard spells beyond Journeyman. I would ask the old nag to help me, if I cared to even speak to him again.' Sanguine grumbled to himself as he trotted into the top floor of the keep. The top floor of the keep separated the tower from the building below, so that there was no tower interfering with the throne room.

Sanguine then had to climb down the only stairwell leading down to the ground floor of the massive throne room, which extended all the way from the ground floor, to 9 levels high, as the tenth level was the top floor of the keep. While the throne room was enormous, it was still small enough that the rest of the keep, all 9 floors around the throne room, all served purposes from extra rooms, kitchens, servant quarters…as if this castle needed such.

So while it may seem odd, Gareth was absolutely insistent on the throne room being at the very center of the castle. Something about it being both intrinsic to the design, as well as being the most defensible location, aside from the dungeon, and the tower which only has the one stairwell leading up to. Pegasi cannot simply enter through the windows or the roof access either, as only recognized guests or allies may enter. And of course, in the center of the huge throne room was the throne. The throne was part of the castle, seamlessly hewn from the same stone. It was sharp, angular, and overall intimidating.

Sanguine loved it.

Best of all, it was comfortable. It has carmine-dyed velvet cushions for the seat and back, making it so that Sanguine could plop his rump on that cushion and relax all day if he wished. However, it wasn't the throne he was here for; it was the Goldfish Genie molding the black, gold, and carmine woven carpet, leading from the only ground-floor entrance in the northwest wall, to the throne. Sanguine took the chance to sit on his throne, and jest.

"Chamberlain~! Will doth tell thy what business there is to attend?" Sanguine made his voice as snobby as possible, and barely avoided cracking a smirk.

"Ah, Master. It is good to see you have woken with the sun. How well did you sleep, have good dreams sire?" Gareth rumbled back in good humor.

"Gareth, you know I don't dream." Sanguine cut the jesting out, as this was a conversation they'd had before.

Specifically: when Sanguine witnessed Gareth's scales and fins change from silver to gold at sunrise, and later that day, from gold to silver at sundown. Gareth explained to Sanguine, that his power is derived from the sun and moon, as much as it was from their pact. This further impacted Gareth in that he never slept, as the celestial bodies constantly invigorated him: eliminating the need to sleep, and to a lesser extent: eat.

The reason this was a sore spot to Sanguine, was because Gareth lamented how he could never experience sleep, and yet Sanguine could only say that he didn't find sleeping all that appealing, save for when he was tired. Because unlike everypony else it seemed to him: he didn't dream, not even nightmares. To him, sleep was a short period of complete darkness, between lying down, and getting up, and hours of time that could have been productive were wasted.

So, while Gareth was jealous of Sanguine for being able to sleep, Sanguine was jealous of Gareth for not needing to waste time with it. It may seem foalish, but for them, cursed non-dreamers: it wasn't. "Well, there has been a short letter sent by Clover the Clever. She is simply updating you on how the progress on cementing your first two laws is going."

Sanguine looked at the scroll that appeared in Gareth's left hand, and he levitated it to him while unrolling it. "Hm…it's only been a week, and already several interracial couples have popped up. Promising, I'm hoping this will promote a more open and stable society." Sanguine then used his mane to stain a response to her, and sent it back to Clover.

"That aside sir, I have been using only the materials leading in a path through the forest to the northwest. Even should I somehow not need the materials, I'll continue to mold them so a small road leads through the forest from the plains." Gareth reported, as he returned to transforming vine fibers into cloth, then dying them with dye he already made beforehand, and finally weaving them into the carpet runner he was working before.

"Say…Gareth. What level of skill would you say you are in Mystical magic?" Sanguine was surprised he hadn't thought to ask earlier, then again he'd spent most of the week until now getting a view of the lands. He was flying for most of it, and yesterday, he returned and quickly used his mane to stain a rough map of what he expected to be Equestria. He also planned to spend today naming several locations, and also planning about visiting the lands to the south, all being vastly different between a few regions.

"Journeyman. I've lived long Sanguine, and I know some Expert Mystical spells, but I can't use them with regularity. My discipline is in Physical spellcraft. I am sure that you know that trying to compare the methods used to stabilize Physical versus Mystical spells is like trying to mix oils with water. You can't mix them; only work them separately, alongside each other at best." Gareth spoke, without stopping his work on the carpet, which was already nearing the throne.

Sanguine needed to sigh at this. "Blast…I was hoping you were at least an Expert in Mystical spellcraft. I'm only a Journeyman Mystic, and an Apprentice Physic. I know and can use Expert and Master spells in the Darkness and Shadow categories reliably, but I can't keep other spells of those levels stable." Sanguine thought back to his foalhood, and the Master he learned under: Star Swirl. 'I will NOT ask for his help! Not if I have a choice.'

"Hm…well then, if you like I could help you learn more of being a Physic. But as for being a Mystic, you might already be at my level, so you'll have to ask someone else." Gareth didn't use terms such as somepony, or anypony, a lot. Mostly because he knew there were many, many other non-pony races out there capable of magic. Himself being a very prime example, it was simply rare to see someone other than a pony in these lands.

"Yes, I know…but unless Clover has advanced far more than I could hope, then my only other option…I don't want to consider it right now…." 'If Clover isn't at least considered an Expert, then…I'll be stuck with having to ask that…no…certainly Clover is skilled enough to help me. As much as I hate him, he's too great a teacher for such a brilliant mare as Clover to not be at that level by this point.' Sanguine sighed as he stood up, and turned back towards the stairs at the back of the throne room.

"I'll have finished laying the carpet runners through the castle by this evening Sanguine. I'll get to fashioning the furniture for your study tonight." Gareth, since he didn't sleep, used all his time to keep busy with something. He told Sanguine, that before their pact, he had very little to do with himself. So: keeping busy and serving Sanguine genuinely pleased him, since it gave him something to do.

"You know, you can actually take a break Gareth. I'm sure there's something you can do to relax." Sanguine may not like sleeping, and envy Gareth's ability to live without it, but surely all that boundless energy didn't stop him from becoming metaphorically tired…did it?

"Sir, to be frank: I'd be bored to Tartarus just lying about. I'd much rather be crafting things than relaxing. I can do that when I feel like it, and I don't feel like it." Gareth finished the carpet, and promptly sent his materials away before he proceeded to float out the door. Was it mentioned he floated in the air effortlessly? No? Well yes, he's a genie after all.

"Well then, I suppose I'd best get to work on that map. I think My Little Ponies would like to have some official borders drawn up. I don't think anyone will care if I try to lay claim to that desert, those barren hills, badlands, and great swamps to the south. Almost nothing grows there anyhow, and the swamp is filled with nothing but weed grass, and marsh trees." Sanguine climbed back up the tower, which itself, was easily 10 levels tall, making the castle over 20 levels tall overall.

Gareth had asked if Sanguine wanted the castle's design changed into something more angular, or intimidating. But no, Sanguine loved the molded, naturally rounded look the castle currently had. It was hard to tell from a distance, if it was actually a castle, or a peculiarly shaped mountain, which he loved for the irony. Which was why he loved the throne even more: since it's sharp, angular design contrasts the whole castle, as if saying that while smooth, and visually appealing, didn't mean what was inside had to be pleasant.

Not to say the throne wasn't pleasant, just intimidating.

When Sanguine returned to his room, he sat on the carmine cushion in front of his simple, dark-wood desk. On the desk was the roughly drawn map of what he decided would be Equestria. He sadly, decided to completely eliminate their old lands to the far north from the map. As although the Windigos had been destroyed by the Fire of Friendship sparked by Clover, Cookie, and Pansy: their old lands were still frozen, and were not warming up at all.

The only original settlements of their old lands that returned to normal, were Tall Tale: a young, yet flourishing Unicorn town that Star Swirl had taken a liking to, and Hollow Shades: a secluded, standalone Unicorn village, that kept to themselves and didn't care to socialize with anypony else, not even their origin tribe. The Crystal Empire also returned to normal, but everywhere north of them had remained frozen.

And so, he reluctantly ended their northern borders at the Crystal Mountains, as the Crystal Empire already conceded their sovereignty to Equestria, since they knew to try and stand on their own at the moment would be foolish. That didn't mean they still weren't autonomous. They had free reign within their borders, just that they were still a part of Equestria.

Anyhow, he had named their lost lands to the north the Frozen North. Let all the old names, their old homes, be lost to the past. Nothing was there anymore. Tall Tale was near the northwest coast of Equestria, but not on it. It was too far inland to be a port town in any way. It was directly north of the second tallest mountain in Equestria, which he dubbed Smokey Mountain, as the clouds seemed to be attracted to the peak, in a light haze not unlike smoke.

Smokey Mountain was the corner and turn of the Unicorn Range: a mountain range that had been named prior by the citizens of Tall Tale, since they had sharp, jutting outcroppings near their peaks, not unlike Unicorn horns, so they felt it fitting and nopony else objected to that reasoning. Anyhow, the range extended west from Mount Canterlot: the mountain Canterlot was being built on, which was the center of Equestria.

When the range reached Smokey Mountain, it turned sharply north, and the mountains decreased in size as they went north. This made Tall Tale quite secluded from the ground, but hopefully roads would be formed soon enough, so Pegasus couriers wouldn't have to fly between Canterlot and Tall Tale so often.

Hollow Shades was still as independent, and reclusive as ever. The village was tucked into a thick, small forest just north of the Foal Mountains: a very small mountain range that was to the east of Mount Canterlot. Not sure why the ponies of Hollow Shades named the small range that, perhaps it was because they suddenly shot out of fairly flat surroundings, their sudden size making one feel small.

The Crystal Empire was directly north of Mount Canterlot, and between the Empire and Hollow Shades was a marvel of nature, unaffected by the power of the Windigos. A series of waterfalls, so massive, and so large: that they fused into a single waterfall, all fed from the rivers of their old lands to the north, even now filled from beneath their frozen surfaces. The Empire had long ago named them Neighagra Falls, and having flown over the whole land, which had become easier thanks to his improved flying skills, he realized that the falls were the source of all the rivers running through Equestria.

He realized this because the massive lake fed by the falls bled into an enormous river, said river actually disappeared underground to the northeast of Mount Canterlot. Then, the Canterlot Falls, which gush from Mount Canterlot, feed a massive natural moat around the mountain, and from there, feeds every river, creek, and stream through Equestria. Like a life-giving spider web, if that made sense.

So it was obvious that Neighagra River fed the Canterlot Falls, and through them, all of Equestria. Mother Faust, or whoever molded the world, had an absolutely beautiful system going. The irony that all the water came from their old lands to the north, fed all the water to their new land in Equestria, did not get by him.

It also explained how such large fish came from the falls occasionally.

Aside from all this, Sanguine didn't feel the need to name much else aside from his immediate surroundings, and labeling what else had already been named: like Galloping Gorge, which was a good deal northeast of Tall Tale, but nowhere near the Crystal Empire.

So he simply named his forest Everfree Forest, the large ridge bordering the north-northeast of the forest Rambling Rock Ridge, the bog in the southeast of the forest Froggy Bottom Bog, due to the large numbers of frogs and toads that live there. And the very intimidating, and worrisome gorge south of the bog: Ghastly Gorge, as the name fit it perfectly.

He simply labeled different parts of the map he didn't name, as what they were. Such as a massive woods running east from the plains northeast of Everfree, were labeled woods. The plains all plains, the swamp: swamp, badlands as badlands. You get the idea. He made a copy of the map, and attached a note to Clover for her or somepony else to come up with names if they wished, and sent it to her.

"I'm glad I did something else to contribute, the Tribunal hasn't contacted me for advice or to ask opinions yet." Sanguine spoke to himself, he did it often but not usually in front of others. Sanguine knew that as Prince, he could simply waltz on in and give commands left and right, but he didn't want that. Equestria was still an infant; she'd take some time to mature into a proper nation.

Making new settlements being a prime factor in this, was something that he had no control over. It was up to the settlers on that. And boy, were there settlers. Everypony that escaped the Frozen North was looking for a place to call home, and not everypony was keen on trying to settle around Canterlot.

Right now, the most promising, and quickest settlements are all Pegasi villages. Since Pegasi can form their homes from clouds, it wasn't hard for Hurry to organize something. Already a Pegasi village was starting up, high in the sky over the Unicorn Range, just east of Canterlot.

The purpose of it being so close to Canterlot was hopefully: the Pegasi would be able to start up their weather manufactories again in the near future. For now, keeping it nice and sunny was on everypony's minds. The air was still nippy enough to be noticed. But still, the settlement of Cloudsdale was promising indeed.

"Sir!" Sanguine's musings were shattered and he jumped at Gareth's sudden intrusion into his room. "I need you to come to the medical wing."

(Travel Skip)

Sanguine was quite baffled…he'd never met one before. "Gareth…is he…?" Sanguine was incredibly surprised; of all things he didn't expect this.

"Yes sir, he's fine. And yes: he's a Zebra." Gareth spoke without looking at Sanguine, as he focused on sealing the large open wound on the poor stallion's side. Thankfully Gareth was a Master Physic, as Healing magic fell under the Physical category.

The Zebra was of average size for a pony, and from what little Star Swirl had spoken of the near-mythical race, was average for them as well. Despite that however, Sanguine was impressed with the Zebra's incredibly muscular constitution, as despite being lean, the stallion's body was tight with corded muscle, so much that he'd never seen on any but the strongest Earth Ponies.

His body was covered from face to flank in black and white stripes…or was he white with black stripes or black with white stripes? It was impossible to tell which. However, his hooves were distinctly different, as they were a hard, furless black, unlike ponies: who have a soft, near pointless coat of fur covering their similarly hard hooves. Likely it was due to them having lived in such cold climes for so long, as the ponies of old were said to have furless hooves like this Zebra, and snow bothered them little due to the fur.

The Zebra's muzzle however, was furless as well. It showed that the Zebra's skin beneath the fur was black, perhaps saying he was black with white stripes. 'Ugh…the stripes are so confounding….' His mane was practically gone, obviously cut as close to his head and neck as possible, but his tail was long, and heavily braided with a tan furred cord of sorts weaved into it. 'That tail is similar in style to how mine was before the shadows. I know from experience, that such a style is for discerning warriors, as I myself have used my tail to strike or bind an enemy many times.' "Will he be alright? Why didn't you seal his wound right away?"

"He was stabbed by a Manticore's tail." Gareth informed simply. "I had to leave it open so I could let my Antiveno spell work while I went to get you." Sanguine cringed at the mention of Antiveno. As Antiveno, while a potent anti-venom/antidote spell, literally coursed through the subject's body, gathering the poison or venom, and forcibly moving it through the body without harming the subject, and then pulling it out of an open wound.

Obviously, it was a first-aid "use immediately" spell, and thus very appropriate for a Manticore sting, but he had experienced it when going to a healer about having been bitten by a coral snake once, it was incredibly painful. Imagine liquid fire flowing through you, and you'd get the gist of it. The fact that the Zebra, even whilst asleep, was showing no physical reaction was both impressive, and worrying.

"You didn't answer my question, will he be fine?" Sanguine knew Gareth didn't beat-around-the-bush, but he wanted to hear it, not assume.

"He'll be fine, hold onto your tail Sanguine. This Zebra is perhaps one of the sturdiest beings I've met my whole life. And I've known Mother Faust herself, so that's saying a lot." Gareth finished sealing the wound; it left not even a scar as the fur quickly grew back in. "He should wake up soon-."

"I thank you mighty one, for if you had not found me, I would have been done." To both of their surprise, the Zebra snapped awake, yet did not move. As he calmly opened his eyes to look at them with his piercing red orbs, he smiled tiredly. "For strong am I, to resist, yet a Manticore's poison festers, like a cyst. I would have lain there, tired and broken, and shortly for certain, I would never have awoken."

"It is nothing to be too thankful for hunter. This is my domain, as much as it is my Master's. I sensed peril in my forest, and so I sought you out." Gareth gestured to Sanguine who nodded and took in the stallion's presence with stride.

"Greetings…I have no experience with your kind. As you are the first Zebra I have ever met: I extend a Declaration of Friendship to you, and your people, if you wish." Sanguine, while no real diplomat, knew that as a First Contact situation with possibly another civilization, it was quite prudent to be as hospitable and polite as possible, and how better to do that, than to offer a hoof in Friendship?

The Zebra smiled, and despite Gareth's grumbled disagreements with the action, moved into a sitting position on the bed. Gareth had furnished the infirmary with a small bed, in case something like this would happen. "To extend friendship so readily, is to suggest you guide things wisely, and steadily. I would accept, but your offer is not mine to be kept. I would have to bring word to my tribe: the Maasai. For to accept it blindly, would to my leadership defy."

Sanguine then raised an eyebrow, not at his words, but how he said them. "Might I ask, if it does not offend: why do you speak in rhyme?" At his question, the Zebra had to smile, so brightly, he thought those teeth mid just blind him.

"It is merely a jest, a turn-a-phrase to entertain any guest. But in this case I suppose that I would be your guest, and so I propose, that while I rhyme and toy with time, I still relay my words in kind. So please, if you wish, do not mind." His voice, being a deep, yet smooth one, flowed with the words. It was like hearing the roar of a waterfall, echoed by distance and softened by trees. "Now as it would be seen as rude, and I do not wish to be crude: my name is Kali, meaning Strong, and as you can guess…." He flexed what seemed to be every muscle in his body, as his coat rippled. "The name is not wrong."

Sanguine had to smile, and flexed his own muscles, Gareth doing the same, but far more flamboyantly. Without further words, all three of them bonded. Friendship through muscles is often considered one of basest forms of masculinity, and right now it is so stallionly, that none of them cared for words for a few moments.

"Hm…well I am Sanguine: Prince of Equestria. My nation is still in it's early stages, we're resettling after the destruction of our old home. I have no name of our old home to give you, it is gone, no purpose in trying to cling to it." Sanguine grew slightly spiteful of that fact, but quickly recovered. "Apologies, I don't wish to trouble you with our problems."

"Worry not, your problems to spread, for I understand the purpose of what you have said. We too, the Maasai, believe in letting old ghosts lie. There is no need to bring up the past, for that is what it is: the past. Treasure the present; we must, for those who forgive and live, are just." Kali stood up, and stepped down from the bed. "And healer, one who uses magic. Please tell me your name, for to not know would be tragic."

Gareth was still flexing, to both Sanguine and Kali's humor, but he stopped and returned to the conversation. "I am Gareth Salisbury of Pondingham! I am the servant of this castle, and my Master Sanguine. Now then, I noticed that you had come from the south, but as far as I and my Master have seen, there is nothing but arid hills and badlands directly south of here. So may I ask where you are from?"

"Ah a good question, for one I have a big confession. From beyond the badlands and said arid hills, is lush, far-reaching grassland, inhabited with strong wills. My country of Kiwara: a land of vast savannahs, we are mostly semi-nomadic tribes, moving between cabanas. At war we never are, for peace we desire, it is the beasts, the Manticores, who forever have our ire." Kali growled at mentioning the Manticores, and felt his muzzle, but was startled by something. "My scars! My marks! True proof of my passing! Why have you removed, the proof of my adulthood lasting?"

Kali was suddenly enraged, piercing his eyes through Gareth, who was suddenly quite shocked, and Sanguine, wisely, stepped out of the way. Immortal or not…he had the feeling being on this Zebra's bad side was to be a painful experience. 'Gareth…what did you do?'

(Author Notes)

And that is some in-depth knowledge of a good amount of the geography of Equestria. If you want to know my reference, it's the Series Guidebook: _My Little Pony: The Elements of Harmony_. However, I don't own the guidebook sadly, so I use the MLP Wikia to check all my data.

"Plus, you brought in the Zebra we both collaborated on! Wow! You're really getting into depth here Game! Especially since I can still see through you!" *Pinks pulls a flashlight out of thin air, and shines it through Game's crystal body.

*Game waves his grey crystalized right foreleg about* Pinks, since WHEN could you turn people into Crystal Ponies? I mean, this was just supposed to be a speech only section, and now you've added visual gags.

"If you're wondering: Game is a steel grey Crystal Pony with jet fiber mane and tail. Both are WAY~ too long to be normal for stallions too, so he's easily mistaken for a mare, but his cold ice blue eyes detract from that. Also he has no Cutie Mark."

Thanks for making me appear effeminate Pinks, btw: Pinks is a more conservative version of Pinkie Pie, with shorter mane/tail and often wears the same style of velvet red glasses as Rarity. However, her coat is periwinkle and her mane/tail light lavender, her eyes are such a dark purple, that they seem black outside of direct light. Her Cutie Mark is of a pink comet, it represents her spontaneity, and ability to just come from out of nowhere…literally and figuratively. Also she's a Unicorn…yet doesn't use magic to do what she does….

"So you know that I'm wild like Pinkie! But intelligent, and sensible enough to be somewhat normal. But we're far from normal!" *Pinks suddenly pops up next to Game, to his shock and she hugs him* "Yay~! ADHD siblings!"

*Game's face blanks* Woo-hoo….

"Oh c'mon! Smile! My name is Pink-!" *starts song*

DAH~! *goes crezeh from fave pony song*

"That's the spirit!"


	5. Diplomatic Immunity

_**Chaos Incarnate**_

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this story except Sanguine Shadowmane, Gareth Salisbury is PinkiePieFiesta's, Kali is both of ours.

Beta: **PinkiePieFiesta**

_**Diplomatic Immunity**_

The tense silence was very pressuring, and very worrisome. Apparently, Gareth had healed up scars that were important to Kali, but why were they important? "Wait, you mean those horrid claw scars across your face were meaningful? My apologies Kali! I did not know they were important, as I know nothing of your culture. I've been bound to the waterways of Equestria my whole life, until now anyhow."

Kali glared and seemed to contemplate between yelling or lunging at Gareth, but after several moments the zebra calmed down and took an easing breath. "At ease Kali old horse, for this is not reason for remorse. I cannot forgive you so easily, for those scars helped show my rite, and for this transgression I cannot act so leniently. So I ask for pardon my savior, for sadly I must give you a scar in favor."

Sanguine's eyes widened, he didn't think anypony, or anyone…did anypony apply to zebras? Anyhow, he didn't think that there were societies out there that still practiced tribal scarification, their own societies, while still labeled tribes, had not participated in such a brutish practice for unknown time. "Wait, hold on Gareth; can't you simply give him his scars back? You are a Master Physic, certainly you can do that?"

Gareth was oddly rather calm about the situation, but he had to shake his head. "Sanguine, that is not how scarification works. To take a scar away is to remove proof of a being's action, or achievement they have lived through. Even if I gave it back, it would have no meaning. It is only right, that Kali has proper returns on my wronging of him. Besides, he is essentially a visiting foreign dignitary. I remember Mother Faust actively practicing something called "Diplomatic Immunity" in that anything done in offense of the visiting dignitary can be punished by the dignitary, and that they have some leeway of freedom to our laws."

Sanguine raised an eyebrow, while Kali tilted his head in silent, calm surprise. "So you're saying that Kali has every right to harm you right now?"

"Yes, that is what I believe he is saying, of which I am surprised, this gesture he is repaying. For being so open, and lenient of my ways, I will make sure the pain surely doesn't stays." Kali then, shockingly and impressively, leapt at Gareth so quickly that neither he nor Sanguine could react. In that moment, Kali had swiped the edge of his left forehoof, which was actually sharpened at the edge, unlike the soft edges of pony hooves, at Gareth's left shoulder. This quickly sliced open Gareth's left shoulder in an impressively fine, but wide cut.

"Argh!" Gareth grabbed his shoulder, and resisted healing it right away. Kali had already landed back on the floor, and habitually flung the blood off his hoof to the floor. "I will heal it, but keep the scar…." Gareth did so, but made sure his scales didn't fully retain their old pigment, showing that he had retained proof of the injury.

"Then it is done. I am sorry Gareth, but my honor needed to be won. Those scars were important, as from my first hunt, they were warrant." While Kali's use of the word warrant was confusing at first, Sanguine pieced it together quickly enough.

"Ah, I see. You got them from your first Manticore huh?" At Sanguine's question Kali nodded, affirming to Sanguine that, any proof of the first successful hunt of a Manticore was very important to Kali's kind. "Then we are sorry, are you sure you don't want Gareth to return your scars? Even if they are not the same ones, they could have both their old meaning, and a new one attached. So you won't have any honor lost."

Kali widened his eyes in surprise at the idea, and smiled kindly. "Only if Gareth is willing: after I have already scarred without killing. But even so, that scar I gave him must not go." Kali looked to Gareth who waved it off.

"No harm done…essentially. Now I have a story to tell, so if anyone asks of my scar, I can say I got it from an honorable Zebra named Kali." Gareth smiled and then floated over to Kali. "Hold still, I cannot remake the scars accurately if you move, even if it does hurt like when you first got them."

"The memory of their pain, I do not wish it to wane. For it made me stronger, and there is no way that can compare, to my acts of their slaughter." Again, Kali confused them for a moment, but they realized he meant that the pain of his scars is nothing compared to the pain his hunts suffer at his spear.

"Hold on! But Gareth healed that Manticore sting, should he have let that scar?" Sanguine needed to know and Kali shook his head, still smiling gently.

"No, if it is healed well, and does not scar, then there is no story to tell, if your skin the injury didn't mar." Kali went still and Gareth began to remake the scars.

'Mar is a rather harsh comparison, usually to say something is marred is to say it was nearly destroyed, or horribly injured. But still, it rhymed and the meaning carried….' Sanguine was still perplexed, how did Kali make his rhyming seem so effortless? Years of practice? Mastery of the common language? For that matter, how does he know the same language as ponies?

Sanguine stopped musing for a moment, and watched Gareth move back from Kali. He could see why Gareth had healed them. They were distinctive indeed, marring his face, thus making his use of the word earlier very justified. His face was still the same, but the furless trio of discolored marks running down between his eyes, and splitting his left nostril, and also making a split in his upper lip, was needlessly graphic of just what that Manticore did to him.

His nose and lip had healed back together for sure, but their uneven indentation compared to their surroundings showed that those spots were literally torn off by that Manticore. "Wow…that must have been painful." Sanguine remembered Gareth saying it would hurt, likely as much as the injury originally did, yet Kali, amazingly, didn't even grimace.

Kali still smiled, and the slight indent on his lip actually made it somehow more charming. "It is nothing to the original, to compare this mild burn to the roaring pain of it back then is criminal." Kali licked his lip at the indent, and he seemed to take an odd comfort in the action. Likely that had become a tick to him, one he liked. "Ah it is good, but you did not make it as bad as you should."

"I felt letting the top of your nostril, running up your muzzle to be nearly gone, was a little cruel. At least now you have your sense of smell in that nostril." Gareth stated…wait…his scar was WORSE than this?!

"For this I thank you, for to say I liked that of my old scar would be untrue. Now perhaps, with most of my face intact, I may find a mare, I've been trying to court in fact." Kali was pleased for this, as it turned out better for him that he would imagine. His honor demanded he have the scar, but that didn't mean it needed to be that bad.

"Well good for you! I hope you find a good mare Kali." Sanguine smiled, he wanted to take the conversation away from scarification if he could. He wasn't squeamish, but he wanted to talk of more pleasant matters. "Anyhow, now that this whole scar situation has been resolved. I ask that if you don't mind, that we take this somewhere with more chairs…we do have more chairs now don't we?"

Gareth smiled at his Master's question. "Yes sir, I made a small meeting chamber earlier. Follow me."

(Travel Skip)

The meeting chamber was sparse, with only a few raised cushions for chairs, and a single large round table. It was substantially more than Sanguine was thinking of. "Gareth…we live in the middle of a chaotic forest…we aren't likely to have so many visitors."

"That doesn't matter. A castle of this size, and of such importance to the ruler of a nation, needs to be properly furnished and decorated. I plan on making suits of armor to be worn by ponnequins, weapons as well. Hm…perhaps an armory…." Gareth mused, scratching his chin with a smile.

Sanguine groaned and let his face gently meet the table. "Gareth…." He had no words, and no right to stop him.

Kali had fetched his belongings on the way, and was now fully garbed. He wore a long, hairy headdress, made from the mane of a Manticore. It was braided and beaded, he said each braid represented a great deed, and each bead told what the deed was. It draped over his neck, and covered his withers and upper back.

He was covered fully with a warm cloak of tanned Manticore hide; it was merely to keep him warm. Finally he explained that his braided tail represented that he was a warrior, and the tan cord woven into it, was the tail of his first Manticore, the headdress and cloak were from the same beast. He also carried on his back, his spear.

It was a truly morbid thing, his whole outfit really, as it was all from the corpse of an animal, the same animal too: the first Manticore he hunted. The spear was actually the straightened, and resin hardened tail of his first Manticore. The poison was removed, along with all the muscle inside the chitin exoskeleton. The stinger was reinforced, and modified with the bladed black flakes of a special black glass-like stone his people risk gathering from the deadly volcanic region to the east of Kiwara.

This, combined with his suddenly stoic, and serious demeanor, painted Kali as a true foreign dignitary. "To business we must get, unless in humor we forget. A visitor to your land is I, and saved my live have you, so I will not lie. My tribe will gladly form ties to you, just so long as we do not let ire brew."

"And I would like to extend connections to your country as a whole. Are there many tribes outside the Maasai that carry power? For if so, I must not show favoritism." Sanguine stated evenly and Kali nodded in understanding.

"This is good, for our tribe, we would not monopolize you as we should not." At the lack of a proper rhyme, although there were rhymes in it, Sanguine and Gareth looked confused. "This is important. While rhyming is in my timing, my very verbal tick. To force it while in such serious talk would be enough to make one balk. I will not go out of my way to rhyme in formal conversation. For to do so, might speak badly of my nation."

"But you are still doing it, no offense. I understand that it might be a habit, but why try to force yourself out of it? Did I just rhyme?" Sanguine asked Gareth who smiled and nodded, Kali smiled impishly in response. "Gosh it's contagious…well worry not. I will take you seriously regardless Kali."

"While great warriors and hunters, the Maasai are. We, without the medicine of our neighbors, would not get too far. The Shona tribe is peaceful, and is known for their Shamans making others healthful. The Zulu however…they are violent and cruel. To unify our tribes, they desire to bring us under their rule. Many times have the Zulu gone to war with our neighboring country: Saddle Arabia." Kali shook his head and sighed. "While the rest of us desire peace between races, the Zulu desire war, and are hateful of different faces."

"But you said your nation was peaceful…ah…your nation as a whole. The Zulu are just one tribe…how can they war with an entire nation?" Sanguine was interested, also he wanted to see about if perhaps Kali's tribe could produce a map of their country, so he could update the map he finished earlier today with adding it along Equestria's border.

"The Zulu are as I've said, cruel and for war, they have a head. They breed, constantly, without consideration for the individual. Herds form regularly, colts from young ages are raised as warriors, fillies are taught early their role as breeders and healers." The more Kali spoke of the Zulu…the more disgusted Sanguine was of them.

"How do they support themselves? Your tribe and the Shona are likely nomadic farmers, but from the sounds of it, the Zulu are maddeningly violent and place little purpose on non-military functions." Sanguine had an idea, but didn't want to jump the bow.

"They do farm, they do not travel about like we do either, for it would do their plans harm. But they steal, they raid, they pillage, and plunder for every extra meal. The Saddle Arabians have it hard enough, as they live in the deserts, only farming from their oases, but the Zulu care not, and only continue their onslaughts. For many years, I have been urging a union between my tribe and the Shona, so that we might put the Zulu to pasture, but with their constant growing number, my plans have be unable to mature." Kali looked ashamed, but whether for him trying to war with the warmongers, or to his failure to do so they couldn't tell.

"I would lend aid, but we're unable…and these Saddle Arabians…I will have to see about trying to meet with them, and perhaps arranging things between you and them." Sanguine saw that the Zulu were monsters that needed to be put down, and soon. If these monsters hear about Equestria, without doubt they would come north at the prospect of more bounty.

"You would do such a thing? When having just met, help you would bring?" Kali was astounded.

"Yes, you have my word. I do not know of Kiwara aside from what you have said, and I am even more in the dark of Saddle Arabia. I will need your help, if I am to help you. Having such unrest would be detrimental to my nation in the long run. If we do not aid our neighbors in times of need, we would be no better than these Zulu you speak of." Sanguine growled, he would personally fly there and crush them if he could, but Equestria needed his help.

"Maps. Drawings of the lands, of Kiwara and its surroundings I can bring. Hopefully, this will aid you in your decision, of making Zulu necks wring." Kali was suddenly eager, if this would work out his people would benefit greatly.

"Yes, I was actually planning to ask that of you, so that I might be able to correlate it with my own maps. Away from this topic, we will speak of it again when you can get the cooperation of your tribe. I wish to know however: what was your intention, coming this far north?" Sanguine had intended to ask that first, but knowing more of Kali's homeland was too interesting.

"Ah, I came north in search of new hunting grounds, and also to add to my maps, to know where not to make rounds. Now that I know this land is yours, I apologize for hunting your Manticores." Kali bowed down and held the edge of his right hoof to his throat.

"NONE OF THAT! STAND!" Sanguine's voice rang out, regal and absolutely overbearing in its strength. Kali practically shot back from his jolting up, if the blast of Sanguine's voice had not done so for him. "KEEP YOUR HOOF FROM YOUR THROAT KALI! I SHALL NOT PUNISH YOU FOR HUNTING HERE!"

"B-but…I have defiled your hunting grounds!" Kali retorted, only to flinch and bend his ears back at the oncoming verbal explosion.

"WE DO NOT HUNT HERE! ONLY IF THEY GROW TOO DANGEROUS, AND THEY WERE SAFE WHERE THEY WERE!" Gareth waved at Sanguine who looked perplexed as to why Gareth interrupted him.

"Sir, you've fallen into that Royal Canterlot Voice you developed again. Why you insisted on it being a Mystic spell is beyond me, it's so hard to repress." Gareth rubbed his earholes. He insisted on teaching Sanguine how to make the spell a Physic one, but Sanguine INSISTED it be Mystic since Mystic was inherently easier to learn than Physic.

"OH! I DID…ahem…sorry. We do not hunt here Kali, only if beasts endanger our settlements, and there are no nearby settlements here. My castle is secluded and alone for a reason. I prefer currently to keep a detached authority over my ponies. Let them sort things out from my commands. Should they have endangered my castle, I or Gareth would have dealt with them. Regardless, I appreciate the gesture, and offer to have them sent with you back to your home." Sanguine was silently embarrassed…his invention: the Royal Canterlot Voice was to be his answer to having to speak to ponies far away, or to a great many ponies before him. Sadly, the nature of the spell was tied to a pony's body, so anypony could use it, if they knew how. Sadly…once known it was hard to suppress if one's emotions ran high.

"You would…give your hunted bounty to my tribe?" Kali was so shocked, he forgot to rhyme. "Such Generosity…I will gladly bring word to my Chieftain!" Kali bowed again, and practically slammed his face to the floor.

"H-hey, no kneeling! You're not one of My Little Ponies, so please stand." 'I get that enough when I walk through Canterlot.' "Gareth, can you prepare a personal teleport talisman and an anchoring rune for Kali?"

"Gladly Master, IT SHALL BE DONE!" Gareth used the Royal Canterlot Voice, thus making his favorite statement boom before he teleported away.

"Rise Kali. Walk with me." Sanguine left the room, and Kali followed in matched step, despite Sanguine's far greater stride. After guiding him all the way up the central tower, Sanguine passed the frozen and stilled fountain, which Kali marveled at, and looked south. "Tell me Kali: where from here you believe your home to be."

Kali, despite being used to constant flatlands, found the very high vantage point refreshingly easy for gaining a directional bearing. As out on the savannahs of Kiwara, it was extremely easy to become lost. "That way, is where my land lays. When there, it is easy to be unaware of where one is. But for us, it is easy to keep track of both our enemy: the Manticore, as well as where home is, and much more."

"Good, because when Gareth comes here with what I tasked him with, and your spoils, I will be sending you as far as I can in that direction." Sanguine knew Kali was confused, as he assumed they had no extensive magic users where he is from.

"IT IS DONE!" Gareth boomed behind them, almost making Kali jump off the tower, but Sanguine caught him in his magic. Gareth held out a sturdy small bronze chain necklace, with a single engraved ruby mounted on it with simple bronze as well. "This is your teleport talisman. Simply focus on a place where you truly wish to be, and the talisman will take you there. It is hard for anyone below Master Physic to create. So keep it safe, and better: keep it secret. For the power of anyone to teleport is a dangerous thing."

"Indeed. However, it will be tied strongly to the anchoring runes connected to it. One will be here, in my summoning hall. The other you will take with you, and give to someone you trust, or a place you know is safe. This way you can come and go from here at your leisure." Sanguine smiled as Gareth placed the necklace on Kali's neck, and handed him an engraved stone: the anchoring rune, along with a saddlebag.

"This saddlebag is enchanted with a blend of Physic and Mystic properties, making it able to hold far more than a normal bag. In it are the corpses of the Manticores you felled before I had to rescue you." Gareth put the anchoring rune in the bag, and then placed it on Kali's back without any protest, as rather, Kali was astounded by all this.

"All these gifts…you are far too Generous…." Kali again couldn't find it in him to rhyme, but he did find it in him to smile. "I am ready to leave, I hope great bonds of friendship, do we begin to weave."

"Farewell Kali, I hope to speak to you again soon." Sanguine then focused his shadow magic, and cast a Shadow Teleport on Kali, to send him as far south as Sanguine felt was necessary. For until the anchoring rune was placed in Kiwara, any attempt to teleport between here and there would be unreliable. "Things have gotten complicated…already I have thrust myself into aiding other countries, when my own nation hasn't even finished building itself."

"You couldn't ignore this Sanguine. From the sounds of it, the Zulu will not stop at Saddle Arabia. The fact that they have not destroyed their own nation is testament to that they at least do not war with themselves." Gareth then sighed and looked down at the castle. "My crafting schedule has been drastically thrown off. I have to finish the kitchens if we're going to be able to eat here regularly anytime soon."

Sanguine collapsed in exhaustion from all the events that have happened today, and especially in exasperation for Gareth's busybody personality. "Gareth…why don't you make a varied garden in the courtyards since you're so dead-set on keeping busy: especially a patch of Deadly Nightshade and Datura Inoxia while you're at it."

"Hm…that sounds like a wonderful idea. But why the Deadly Nightshade, and Datura Inoxia? Planning to brew some poisons, or perhaps refine the toxins into medicines?" Gareth was interested, as he had a liking for flora. Having been water-bound his whole life until recently, all the various plants of the land always interested him.

"I like Nightshade, all species of it, but I have a particular liking to Deadly Nightshade and Datura Inoxia. Both are from the same family of plants, and both are well known for their deadly toxins. They are beautiful, yet ugly, enticing, yet terrifying. One otherwise called a "Deadly Beautiful Mare" the other the "Moonflower"." Sanguine smiled wistfully, and had a dark gleam to his eyes that interested Gareth.

"I assume that somehow your taste in plants is more to the grim side?" Gareth asked as his arms crossed.

"Gareth, live as I have and the easy to use poison of these two plants will be your best friends." Sanguine leered at the floor, still lying down. "You may go Gareth; do as you will, as always." Gareth nodded and flashed away, leaving Sanguine to contemplate his new situation. 'Faust…how am I going to explain this to Clover?'

(Author Notes)

"Come on and smile~!"

Come on and smile~!

"Come on and smile! *Game and Pinks finish together and laugh*

Oh Pinks, that is my favorite pony song! Anyhow, sorry, but what went on this chapter?

"Oh you Silly Willy, you wrote it and you can't remember?"

Hey! You're the one who distracted me with a sudden pony flash mob! And talk of roaring bears climbing out of bed because you woke them up early.

"Right, sorry. Anyhow, something about scarification? Diplomatic Immunity? Like from Lethal Weapon II?"

Yes, yes and no. Scarification is an old ritualistic practice that has been held by almost every society the world over at some point. To this day, people respect and fear scars. They're stories, lessons, and memories all packed into one, usually life-long mark. As for Diplomatic Immunity, yes like from Lethal Weapon II, but not as risky or infallible. While visiting diplomats are protected, if they should blatantly break the law, they will answer for it, usually by being sent back to their country and barred from returning.

"Oh, that is so much more MLP than the real-life and Lethal Weapon II version. Also, you just wanted to use it as a title didn't you?"

One of the best phrases ever used before one of the best one-liners ever delivered? Buck yes I wanted to use it.

*PINKIE GASP* "Game! Language!"

Oh calm down Pinks, this is rated T, and pony swears aren't even E10.

"Not to mention you've created a situation where Sanguine is going to orchestrate a war, and what was with the poisonous plants?"

I am not ashamed to admit, that I love poisonous plants. They are a terrifying thing, aren't they? That something so unassuming, or even beautiful, can kill you with barely a small amount in your system. A single leaf, berry, flower, or root of Deadly Nightshade can kill an adult, without any refinement. Datura Inoxia is similarly deadly, but not as overly so. Both have been known through history to be used in assassinations and murders, even suicides both intentional and accidental.

"Game…you're kinda scaring me right now."

Good, fear means you have logic. But enough of that, how's about a Winter Wrap-up?


	6. Old Ties

_**Chaos Incarnate**_

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this story except Sanguine Shadowmane, Gareth Salisbury is PinkiePieFiesta's, Kali is both of ours.

Beta: **PinkiePieFiesta**

_**Old Ties**_

"…Wait…wait, wait, wait! What?!" Clover exploded in Sanguine's face as the council and their advisors all were in the Tri-Council chamber. Sanguine, despite being the Prince, and thus having the power to silence Clover for this outburst, actually cowered slightly with his ears folded back, refusing to meet Clover's eyes.

Everypony else in the room was incredibly amused.

"Um…I said…that I have made First Contact with another civilization, made positive impressions and forged possible friendships with them." Sanguine recapped only for Clover to shake her head.

"No: AFTER that!" Clover was gritting her teeth, and Sanguine cleared his throat as he looked away from her.

"I…might have promised him to possibly, maybe, personally…help another civilization aid his in wiping out a violent tribe? AH!" Sanguine cried out when Clover actually backhoofed him to everypony else's shock, and Sanguine looked very hurt by the action, as he slowly brought his right hoof to touch his sore face.

"HOW could you do this to us?! We made you the Prince, and what do you do as your second official action on the throne? Involve us in a war! We can't possibly get involved in this!" Clover was about to keep ranting when she paused, and was suddenly stricken with horror of what she'd done. Especially when she saw a single tear leak from his right eye, the one she struck. "Oh my-Sanguine I'm…excuse me!" Clover teleported from the chamber, leaving Sanguine horribly confused and distraught.

Everypony was very nervous, and worried about approaching him, but Pansy surprisingly, was the first to gain the courage, and flew over to him to hug him. "It's ok…she was just upset, it will be fine." Sanguine sighed and calmed down from her Kindness, he was impressed with the mare, and was all the happier his first two laws helped her enter a good relationship with a stallion.

"Thank you Pansy. I already forgive her, but I must ask you all what you think. After all, Clover has clearly given her opinion. What say you Platinum? Do you agree with your advisor?" Sanguine asked out of formality, as the Tribe leaders and their Advisors were actually of equal standing to him, he valued each of their opinions fairly. So while the Tribunal may more-or-less run the country for him, they and their advisors aid him in major decisions together. So it was actually less of a Monarchy, and closer to a form of Parliament. But since he had final say in everything, the title of Monarch was his.

"I only agree so far as us possibly putting forth military to this cause. We cannot afford to let any of our mages, the Pegasi's soldiers, or the Earth Pony's militias to be sent to aid the…Zebras?" Platinum asked in slight awe and obvious disbelief, only for him to nod and she continued. "We need them here, to ensure our budding society's security, as well as to avoid possible corruption in the transition. Somepony dependable leaving the ranks for someplace far to the south would possibly give a less upstanding pony a chance to take their place."

"I agree with Miss Priss on this. I can't devote anypony substantial to this; we need every able wing to maintain construction pace on Cloudsdale, as well as the fact that in the lack of reliable Unicorn teleport stones at this time, my cloud runners are completely occupied with maintaining communication between us and our spreading settlements." Commander Hurricane dutifully informed, but Platinum interjected.

"Wait, what? Why didn't you bring this up earlier? Star Swirl has recently arrived from Tall Tale, and he is at this moment constructing a warp rune in the basement." At Platinum's interjection, Sanguine gasped, froze, and about exploded in fury, but contained it. "Sire? Are…you alright?"

Sanguine snapped out of his momentary blinding rage to see the others were nervous. It wasn't until he realized he was snarling, and exuding an aura of fury that he stopped and futilely tried to calm down. "No…no I am not…he is here? In this building?" Sanguine tried to be civil, but his ire was bleeding into his words, making them worry.

"Y-yes…downstairs in the basement." Platinum informed him and then gasped. "No! I mean…um…curses! Please, remain calm my Prince!" Platinum rushed out of her chair and bowed before him. "You mustn't confront Sir Star Swirl at the moment, please ease your ire."

"Platinum…surely Clover has told you what he did to me? And you ask me to stay my hoof?" Sanguine was genuinely affronted. He had every RIGHT in both the laws before, and of now to exact cold vengeance on that manipulating old codger!

"Yes! I beg you, we need Sir Star Swirl! What he's done to you is enough to imprison or even lynch him, but his mastery of magic is needed to help us solidify Equestria's power and stability." Platinum was still kneeling and Sanguine for once felt the act was justified, for it, along with her good point on the matter; was all that kept him from striking her blind in his fury.

Sanguine was seething…but he snorted, and let the cold essence of Darkness and Shadow penetrate his aura, bringing him calm. "Very well…I will have…words…with the scholar when this meeting is over. I swear to you, on my honor, that no harm will befall him." Sanguine levitated Platinum quickly to her seat to her embarrassment, and then gestured to Puddinghead on her opinion.

Puddinghead had ditched her chancellor raiment and ridiculous hat. She wasn't kidding about not liking being the chancellor. She still led the Earth Ponies, but as the Councilor for her tribe, like Councilor Hurricane and Platinum. Hurry held her old title still though, because she was still the ranking officer of their military. "Sadly, I agree with them. Our stallions are sturdy, and able to break anypony in half with a good buck to the midsection, but we need them to guard our fields, and plow those fields, and seed them too!"

Puddinghead's seriousness was something new to everypony. Over the past week since Sanguine was crowned, despite the royal crown and raiment still being forged, Puddinghead had admitted that while she was inherently silly and energetic, she didn't feel the pressure to exude it at all times due to her station, as the chancellor is truly the most creative and unpredictable Earth Pony. So for meetings, she was serious and ironically down-to-earth. Outside, she was her usual wild self.

"Wait, hold on for a second. Platinum, you say that Star Swirl himself is making a warp rune in the basement?" Hurry asked and Platinum nodded. "Well, leading to where? Tall Tale? Hollow Shades?"

"Both actually, and he's linking it to several of our lost homes and keeps to the north. While they're gone, and I said that to link them was pointless, he said to completely ignore the past was foolish, so inhabitable or not, we will have access to our old homes again, if only to bring things here from there." Platinum informed everypony and Hurry breathed out in relief.

"In that case, I can pull the cloud runners from the Tall Tale and Hollow Shades routes. It's not much, but if they can be of help, I'll have two Pegasi soldiers on hoof to aid you. As a warning though…do not underestimate the destructive capability of Corporal Twitch; he's destroyed entire convoys on accident." Hurry shivered and everypony became worried at this fact.

"Is this Corporal Twitch a violent individual? We have not been in open war for a couple generations, so why would he destroy entire convoys, even on accident?" Sanguine was puzzled; as such a dangerous individual could be useful for his plans, but hinder them if he was too much.

"Oh no, he's too kind, not a mean feather on him. But his family is cursed; some Unicorn long ago cursed his family with eternal…klutziness. Everypony born in his family is wall-eyed, are easily confused, and ultimately are accident prone. However the curse also makes them incredibly durable, as I personally saw Twitch crash headlong into a mountain, and shrug it off like he had bounced on a cloud; not a bruise, cut, or mark on him." Hurry informed Sanguine, who liked the sound of Twitch; he had use for a sturdy Pegasus, even one so danger-prone.

"Hm…I could use a tough Pegasus for this. The other?" Sanguine had two viable aides on this; he wanted to know his options.

"Oh, she's nothing too special, but she's almost as fast as I am, and her talent revolves around using a situation or location to her advantage. She spots the advantages and disadvantages of a situation or location instantly. She'd have my position if I wasn't still acting Commander, I plan to hoof it to her once things settle down, and I'm needed more as a counselor than as a commander." Hurry informed Sanguine with a calm and professional air, but she obviously had some pride in her. "Her name is Red Alert; she's the first to spot trouble, and the first to warn everypony."

"Hm…a tactics advisor…I really need her help. I'll take them both, how soon do you think you can get them both ready for my service?" Sanguine's thoughts on Star Swirl still egged him to get the meeting over with, but this sounded good, so he wanted to get everything set before he left the room.

"Red's actually on her way to Tall Tale for correspondence right now, it'll be a few days. But Twitch is on his way back right now, so he'll be here by tomorrow." Hurry reported. While Equestria was big, and Pegasi could fly the breadth of it within a day, that's only without being weighed down. Chariot drivers or cloud runners, otherwise called couriers, had to fly with plenty of weight slowing them down.

"Very well, have Twitch rest until Red Alert arrives, and then send Clover to find me." Sanguine turned around and became irritated. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have an old coot to accost." Sanguine nearly galloped out of the meeting chamber, and almost flew down the stairs of each floor. When he got to the basement, Sanguine was given pause.

Not for any particularly shocking reason, he knew he was here but….

Star Swirl was so…OLD….

Last Sanguine had saw him was years ago, nearly 8 years. Star Swirl was old back then, his light blue coat was still flecked in grey, his mane, tail, and beard a pure white; as it was natural for him, but streaked with grey.

But this…mockery…this shriveled coot couldn't possibly be him…hunched over, and bound to an enchanted wood wheelchair that was meant for extremely old ponies to get about. His characteristic blue robe and hat, faded now, their shimmering stars seemed dull.

It actually froze Sanguine's fury instantly, to see that powerful and unrepentant old man to look so…WEAK…it hurt. "S-Star Swirl?" At Sanguine's hesitant voice, the skin-and-bones old Unicorn turned in his enchanted wheelchair. The stallion's face, once simply lined with slight wrinkles, had sagged and blemished. His eyes were tired, weary and despite everything, still had a mischevious glint to them. His eyes told him everything though, and calmed Sanguine down from his horror, as withered or not, it would seem Star Swirl hadn't changed.

"Ah, if it isn't young Gwyn. Bring me some tea won't you lad? I'm almost done engraving the runes." Swirl spun back to his work, seemingly with more energy than before, making Sanguine smile sadly.

'Yes…he hasn't changed…thank Faust….' Sanguine looked around and saw that once again; Star Swirl had used his carafe and alembic to make tea instead of a proper invigorating potion. "Ah you old codger…still clinging to tea when at your age you should be having vigor potions." Sanguine trotted to the table and prepared two cups of tea.

"Bah! You young bucks and your fancy energy potions! Back in my youth, we had tea, and nothing BUT tea!" Swirl smiled through his false indignation, as they often had this banter back then. "Where have you been lad? I've been expecting you back at least for a visit since a few years ago."

Sanguine hesitated in pouring the tea, but gathered himself and poured them both a cup. "You know where I've been…." Sanguine breathed in the tea. For while he preferred vigor potions and their instant effects, he admitted to loving the taste, scent, and calm tea brought; something the old coot practically beat into him.

Star Swirl sighed, sounding tired and genuinely as old as he looked. "Boy…it had to be you. Don't think it didn't hurt me to tear you away from Clover, and thrust you out on the world." Swirl turned to look at the quiet and attentive Sanguine. "As your Master…no…former Master; it was my duty to send you on the path you were meant for. What good was it, to trap you as my apprentice, when you would become so much more, free of me?"

"Look at me! You KNEW I would become this! I know it!" Sanguine's anger had returned, but not with the fire from before. "How do you think I feel about this? You manipulated me! Gave me clues, led me on! You sent me on those journeys to investigate old myths, you sent me to stop dark cults from rising, and you made me fight the shadow spirit!" Sanguine stopped to catch his breath, the old stallion looking at him impassively, and the spark in his eyes was gone, in their place were dead orbs, filled with regret.

"Even at the tender age of 12, you were a prodigy. Not in anything magically bearing however, nor in your alternative magic studies. Your talent: the ability to take any situation, and throw it into disarray. I needed you to do those things, because I knew, that even as young as you were, as inexperienced as you were that you would succeed. I also saw the signs, yes. I knew that you would become the next Immortal, the next great Alicorn." Star Swirl rolled over to Sanguine, who towered over the withered old stallion. Both knew, all Sanguine would have to do, is raise a hoof and the old pony would die.

"…Then why not take it for yourself? You could have taken my current position. You could have become a great Alicorn, and I would have lived my life blissfully unaware, content to live as a normal mage…." Sanguine moved a cup of tea across the table in front of Star Swirl with his hoof, and Swirl surprisingly clasped his black, strong, young hoof between his blue, weak, old hooves.

"You are what this world needs. I knew, that I wasn't meant for it. That you were destined to become far greater than I." The shine in his eyes, the glimmer of youthfulness returned to Star Swirl's eyes as they let loose tears. "You are my son, even if not by blood. What kind of father would I be, to take away your destiny?"

The anger was gone.

Sanguine sat and hugged the old stallion as gently as he could, while still squeezing the old Unicorn, who feebly wrapped his forelegs around Sanguine's chest. "I forgive you…I won't ever forget it, but I can't hold it against you anymore…." Sanguine was crying because he felt so relieved over this. Star Swirl was practically his adopted father, beings the stallion pretty much raised him along with the maids of the only castle in Tall Tale.

"I wouldn't mind if you hated me until your dying breath, however far, far off that may be. I cannot tell you how proud of you I am. You've grown up to be such an impressive stallion." Star Swirl wriggled out of the hug, and the two stallions backed away, smiling. "I have work to return to, and as the ruler of this new country, I'm sure you do too. Now off with you lad. Try to speak with Clover more often too hm?"

Sanguine kept smiling, and quietly downed his tea before leaving.

(Two Days Later)

Sanguine was tending to his new alchemy garden. Gareth had not only planted an abundance of Deadly Nightshade and Datura Inoxia, but several other plants too, such as milk thistle, tundra cotton, and briar. Mostly it was all focused on brewing poisons, but…Sanguine had some plans involving the bittersweet and hallucination inducing berries of the Deadly Nightshade.

Taken directly, or refined, Deadly Nightshade of any part of the plant can kill a full-grown pony with violent seizures, hallucinations, and spastic nerve reactions; killing the victim with nerve shock. However, when processed right, the plant makes excellent painkillers, relaxants, and even cosmetics. Or as Sanguine plans; a harmless drug, as it will be processed safely, and then tested to ensure that the unfortunate "death" effect is avoided.

However to call what he was planning to make a drug was incorrect, as really he was coming up with a recipe for hallucinogenic alcohol. Unicorns loved their wines, Earth Ponies their ciders, and Pegasi their moonshine. Each is originally an acquired preference from their original homelands, so the species preference to the different drinks was one thing he hoped to overcome, as celebration, while completely universal, would be rather awkward should the majority of a given celebration prefer a brew that the others do not.

He hoped to specifically make a cider that combined the refined potency of wine, with the easy brewing process of moonshine, while retaining the base flavor and biting tang cider was known for. The Deadly Nightshade berries were the balancing ingredient, beings the berries were hallucinogenic along with being bittersweet, making them good even ground between the bitter of wine, and the sweet bite of cider.

All while being as potent as moonshine, if not stronger, which was important to the Pegasi, as they generally love moonshine not for flavor; but for how quickly it can intoxicate somepony.

Now he just had to choose what apples to base the cider on. "Gareth! How are the seeds for those cider apples coming?"

"The Styre, Redstreak, Foxwhelp, and Brown Snout are taking well, but the Dabinett, Harrison, and Kingston aren't taking too well. I might have to grow them in an isolated environment." Gareth was hovering over a few of his magically cultivated saplings. If even he could not get those trees to grow, then they might very well have to move the trees to a controlled environment.

'Perhaps I should have gotten some Gala, Red Delicious, and Fuji seeds too, even if Smart Cookie said those were eating and cooking apples, not cider apples.' "Would my enchanted underground greenhouse sound like a good idea?" Sanguine had proposed it earlier, but Gareth protested that beautiful apple trees deserved to see the sun, so here they were in the courtyard gardens to see if traditional methods would be fine.

"Hm…yes…as much as I don't want to condemn these trees to living in constant artificial magic sunlight, I think with this forest's unnatural chill: that might be the only choice here." Gareth sighed and scratched the dorsal ridge on his head. "Fine, I will make the enchanted greenhouse. I'll tell you when I'm moving the saplings."

Gareth flashed away, so Sanguine hummed and turned back to his garden. 'So beautiful, I hope you really do work out. I want to make this Night Cider delicious as well as intoxicating, without being needlessly deadly.'

"Sanguine!" Sanguine straightened up from his garden and looked for the echoing voice that called out for him. "Sanguine!"

"Hello? Who has intruded in my castle?" Sanguine took flight and scanned the courtyard until he was pleasantly surprised to see his visitor. "Clover?" Sanguine landed in front of her, but Clover seemed busy gawking at the massive castle around them. "Clover…reality to Clover." Sanguine waved his hoof in her face and she snapped out of it. "There we are, now what are you doing here? I haven't had you come to me since the council first summoned me. Is there something to report that was too important to send a message?"

"Oh…no, I just…wanted to see you." Clover shuffled slightly and looked around them at the castle and the gardens inside the walls. "This is all yours?"

"Well, not just mine. My friend and servant; Gareth, built this for me in exchange for me having subdued the Necroneighmicon." Sanguine smirked at Clover's aghast expression at him so idly mentioning the vile grimoire. "Yes: that book. Would you like a tour?"

Clover shook herself and cleared her throat; her cheeks were lightly pink even through her fur with a blush. "Yes, if you would be so kind Sanguine." Clover's suddenly polite and…distant tone hurt Sanguine, and she noted that he couldn't hide a slight wince. 'Oh no…please Clover don't screw this up!' "I mean; yes please! I mean…just…yes let's go!"

"Clover…I forgive you." There was an unexpected silence between them. "I had already forgiven you before you had struck me. I likely deserved it anyhow. Now, about that tour?" Sanguine finished with a teasing lilt to his tone, and a devil-may-care expression as he fluttered his wings to straighten his feathers out, an action that made the muscles on his sides ripple; and Clover stared unabashedly.

'Stupid sexy Sanguine!' "Y-yeah…tour…." Clover listened intently as Sanguine spoke about the castle while he led her through it, like what plans he and Gareth had for it. However, she was also shamelessly starting at his flanks whenever he wasn't looking. 'Why? Why am I seeing him like this now? It's been 8 years…I'm sure we might have had crushes on each other back then, but…this is so confusing.'

"And finally; here is my bedchambers. Gareth has finished making my private study just above, and above that is the top of the central tower; where the Necroneighmicon is sealed." Sanguine opened the door and he showed her his room. "Cozy isn't it? Not as regal as Platinum Palace but I love it. *yawn*." Sanguine couldn't contain his yawn and looked out the window to see the sun setting. "Oh my…time certainly flew by. Then again Everfree Castle is enormous."

"Yeah…." Clover wasn't really paying attention anymore. She was watching how his mane and tail flowed about. 'How does that work? Are they still solid or…a test then.' Clover reached her left hoof out and slowly swept it through the shadowy ethereal tail. 'Wow…it's like I ran my hoof through a stream of brisk water.'

"Clover?" Said mare looked back up to Sanguine's face to see him blushing. "You…should've asked first…that really tickled…." 'Yes, tickled my very essence. You sent a quivering jolt through my very being; especially since I wasn't braced for it.'

Sanguine was expecting the mare to shy away, but was shocked when instead she practically trotted up to his front, stood on her hind legs, grasped his neck.

And kissed him.

Sanguine was frozen as their lips locked, he was surprised by her action and 'WOAH!' their horns crossed, and Clover sent a jolt of her aura into him. 'Clover…what…?'

'Don't you feel the same way?' Clover and he were now telepathically connected. It was something Unicorns could do naturally when in very close proximity. What Clover had just done was allowed a piece of her aura to be shared with Sanguine, cementing a bond so long as they were in contact. 'It's been killing me, especially since you started flirting your first day back.'

'I'm sorry…I do feel that way, but I didn't want to rush things.' Sanguine pushed back and let a sliver of his aura enter her through their horns, making Clover shudder as they both hugged and deepened the kiss. 'Like now for instance, this was rather sudden.'

'Shut up you sexy stallion! You've tempted me too far! Now pay the consequences!' Clover's horn flared and they were both suddenly on his massive bed, Clover standing over the surprised stallion who was on his back, wings extended to either side as they'd become stiff in arousal. "We are going to make out, RIGHT NOW!" She then telekinetically closed the curtains and door, then snuffed the sconces. "First…those wings~…."

"Oh…my…."

(Author Notes)

*a grey Crystal Bear lumbers into the blank white-space where the notes take place and Pinks sighs* "Game, did you turn into a grumpy old bear again?"

*Game roars snappishly at Pinks who sighs*

"Here, this should help." *Pinks tosses a jar of clover honey and Game quickly empties it* "Better?"

*the bear shrinks and turns back into Game* Yep, sorry about being such a grump lately Pinks.

*Pinks warps and hugs game, who blushes since she is crushing his face into her chest, and he can't breathe* "Aw, I forgive you Silly Willy! You warned me you turn into a grumpy bear every morning, and especially when you're annoyed." *Game is weakly tapping Pinks' shoulder, but he is losing consciousness* "I mean, sure, turning into a bear can be pretty cool, but the downsides are-."

*Game blacks out and collapses, pulling Pinks onto him.*

"Game? Oh…sorry…um…hi there? Uh…I'm not sure what to do…." *reads chapter prompt* "Oh! Ok, so for this chapter Game focused on developing Sanguine's relationship with Clover, as well as him settling things with Star Swirl. I think Game plans on focusing on getting Kali to help introduce him to Saddle Arabia next chapter…whoops! Sorry Game! Uh…Game…could you please edit this out?...Why do I get the feeling you're not going to?" *pokes Game, no response* "Uh…bye!" *grabs Game and gallops out of the room*


	7. Scent Sensual

_**Chaos Incarnate**_

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this story except Sanguine Shadowmane, Gareth Salisbury is PinkiePieFiesta's, Kali is both of ours.

Beta: **PinkiePieFiesta**

_**Scent Sensual**_

Sanguine groaned lightly as he awoke, snuggling the warm form in his bed. The form was obviously Clover. While they had not mated, they both greatly enjoyed each other's presence, and for Sanguine; who could not dream, that meant so much to him to wake up to her. Her and her natural scent resembling lavender, which matched the color of her coat and eyes made him incredibly happy to wake up from his dark, dreamless slumber.

"Sanguine, you need to wake up." Clover whispered and kissed his eyes. "We both have important things to do you know." Clover wasn't just saying that, she had her duties to the Council, he had his duties in general, and they were both too important to put off.

"Five more minutes…." Sanguine didn't mean sleep; he wanted to keep snuggling his mare.

"No Sanguine, because it'll turn into 15 minutes, now get up you lazy stallion." Clover amusedly chided, before working her way out of his grasp, and out of the large bed.

Sanguine sighed. "I might as well, beings my reason to stay in bed has left it." Sanguine stood on his bed and stretched; Clover shamelessly watched him and hummed to herself. "Like what you see?"

"Always, now then have a good day Gwyn; I'm off to meet up with Platinum." Clover levitated her new cloak; a black and carmine silk cloak with intricate designs that Sanguine made for her, with guidance from Gareth, and put it on like she had with her old ratty brown cloak.

"Hold on, before you go; wasn't today the day Hurry said that both Twitch and Red would be available? I'm expecting Kali to return soon and I'd like to have my companions with me." Sanguine was getting antsy. It'd been over 14 days since he'd sent Kali home, and he was worried about being unprepared should Kali arrive before his companions do. He suspected that the only reason Kali hasn't warped back by now was because he was arranging things. Wow…who knew bureaucracy was inefficient for a reason?

"Oh yeah! Hurry did say that she expected Red to return by today. Corporal Twitch has been on leave in town since he got back two days ago, so he's ready, I'll send for you when Red Alert reports in." Clover then teleported, and the room became empty once more.

'This castle feels so empty without her here….' It had been a few days since Clover confessed her feelings and ever since then; she'd been staying at Everfree Castle. While they had not participated in coitus, they were more than happy with their current situation; both wishing to save intercourse for when they were married, and yes, they were certain they wanted to marry.

These feelings had been there for years; they just grew in the absence of the other, and burst down the door when they met back up. Sanguine sighed to let his light despair at her leaving for now out, and teleported to the lowest chamber of the castle to find a massive chamber spanning almost the whole bottom of the massive mountain-sized castle.

This chamber was well-lit, and was enchanted so heavily by Gareth that you would instantly assume you were outside. The floor was actually earth, covered in lush green grass. And filling the chamber in rows, from corner to corner, were trees; beautiful apple trees. They were all Cider Apple Trees, of the species he and Gareth had cultivated on recommendation from Smart Cookie.

The ceiling was a soft sky blue, with what looked like the sun shining from it, perfectly resembling the sky. All that was missing were clouds, but those were timed and came out in various amounts as needed by the plants. Needless to say; Gareth had far and away outdone himself in creating this perfect "greenhouse" that held the perfect conditions for the trees at a constant. This, along with many special enchantments, made the trees grow apples quickly, that didn't ferment until they left the branches, and fermented quickly so cider could be made.

It was Gareth's crowning achievement, alongside Everfree Castle itself. He was most proud of this chamber, even though he originally didn't want to do something like this out of respect for the trees. But he said the trees themselves loved the chamber and wished to stay, so he had no qualms of keeping them here now.

"Gareth! Where are you my dear friend?" Sanguine stood on his hind legs and leaned on a tree to reach his head up and sniff one of the apples. "Oh~ this smells so good. A sweet one you are."

"I HAVE ARRIVED!" Gareth spoke with the Royal Canterlot Voice whenever he said his favorite phrases, such as: IT SHALL BE DONE, I HAVE ARRIVED, and IT IS DONE!

"Ah! There you are! Gareth, how comes the first batch of my Night Cider?" Sanguine licked his lips at the idea of it turning out well. The reason he could ask that now, and not a few months later, is because he had Gareth enchant the fermenting barrels to accelerate the fermentation process, and would then stop it, and preserve it when at peak fermentation.

"For taste? Splendid. For the qualities you're specifically looking for…I fear it falls short. You used too little of the nightshade in this batch. I believe the fermentation denatures the toxicity of the berries, so try for a higher amount." Gareth could test the drinks safely, since as a Master Physic he could easily cure himself should the poison prove too powerful. Originally Sanguine wanted to test it himself, but Gareth refused to let that be, and insisted he do it.

"Drat…back to the alchemy lab then…I'll increase the amount but be careful and inform me if it gets to be too much. So it's just regular high-quality cider then?" At Sanguine's query; Gareth nodded. "Then go ahead and put it in unmarked bottles for circulation. Or if you like this batch, keep the specific formula and store a few bottles in the drink cellar upstairs."

"IT SHALL BE DONE!" Gareth warped away and Sanguine chuckled at his friend's antics.

(Hours later)

Sanguine was in his alchemy lab, working on the nightshade juice he was measuring for his Night Cider formula. He was contemplating possibly adding datura since it had similar hallucinogenic properties but thinking against it since the plant was profoundly bitter. And his Night Cider was supposed to be sweet, with just enough bitter and kick to feel like somepony bucked you in the muzzle.

"Sanguine." The stallion started at his marefriend's sudden appearance, and barely set the beaker filled with poison juice down before he turned to her. "Red Alert has returned, she and Corporal Twitch have been ordered to be ready to report to the council chamber."

"Clover, don't do that! You almost made me drop a whole day's worth of nightshade juice. My plants may be enchanted to grow quickly, but I don't want to overtax them should I run out of ingredients too fast." Sanguine sealed the beaker since the aroma of nightshade was slightly intoxicating in itself. "Well then let's…Clover?"

The mare had gotten very close to him, and was deeply breathing in his scent from his neck. "Wow…you smell like nightshade…." She spoke breathily before she nuzzled his neck and hummed.

"Um…Clover…I know nightshade is a very alluring scent but it isn't that intoxicating." Sanguine thought back on it, and was wondering if his mare simply loved the smell or if there was something else to it.

"You're not a mare Sanguine…it's mingling with your own natural scent and…wow…I'm feeling light-headed…." Clover continued to speak breathily and she nibbled his neck to Sanguine's surprise, making him flair out his wings.

"C-Clover we have important things to do! Surely making out could wait until tonight?" Her response was her pushing him over, and lying on him with a glazed look in her eyes. "Clover?"

"…Sorry…but that smell…it's driving me wild…you go on ahead, I'll nap it off in our room." Clover shook herself and slowly walked out of the lab. 'It's like an aphrodisiac…I hope I'm the only one that will be affected by it.'

Sanguine watched his marefriend leave before he got up and sniffed himself. "Well…I DO smell very nice…but it shouldn't send a mare into such an estrus-like state. I hope it's just Clover, there'd be hell if I should enamor every mare I come in contact with, especially since the council is composed entirely of mares."

(One Teleport Later)

Sanguine emerged from his burst of shadows into the council chamber once more, still unclothed in any regalia of any sort. In fact; today he was supposed to receive his crown and regalia, to give him the appearance a Prince should have, not that he truly cared anyhow, but he didn't want to give foreign dignitaries the wrong idea, so maybe it was best it got finished today before Kali and anyone he brings with him arrive.

"I am here, councilors. Clover brought me word that Red Alert and Twitch have arrived, yes?" Sanguine looked between the five mares who all nodded to him. "Then bring them here, I wish to meet them."

"Go fetch them would ya Pansy? I need to present our reports." Hurry asked Pansy who nodded, and flew outside. "Here's the written reports, sire. I'm kinda glad, yet miffed you demanded everything documented. Less talking I'll admit, but writing all those hurts my mouth."

Sanguine walked to her and looked over the documents, and due to him focusing on them he didn't notice Hurry become surprised of something, and start to take a deep whiff of him, while her wings began to erect. "Hm…thanks to the teleport stones Star Swirl has reconnected we've recovered much of our lost capital and…Hurricane?"

Sanguine felt the councilor touching his right wing and he turned to her only to flinch in surprise to see her eyes glazed, and her mouth lightly drooling. "Such…wings~…."

"Hurricane! I knew you were uncouth, but to so blatantly disrespect our Prince by touching him in such a way!" Platinum stood from her seat, and promptly trotted around the table to accost Hurry. "I know he's an attractive specimen but…but…." Platinum paused in surprise as she drew near and took a deep breath through her nose, which Sanguine noticed this time. "By…Faust…I…what…what a…beautiful horn~…."

"What're all ya'll gals doin'? Everypony knows that Clover n' Prince Sanguine are an item; what yer doin' is just foul!" Smart protested as she and Puddinghead approached to Sanguine's concern. "I mean really why are ya'll…." Smart took a sniff of the air around Sanguine and jerked away. "My…stars…Sanguine get…get outta here…you're doing somethin' ta…us…those…muscles…."

"Yeah! You'd better get out of here; from what I can tell, whatever you've been handling has made you so scent-sensational its sending mares into a light heat!" Puddinghead explained as the three mares started getting very invasive with their hooves.

"Why aren't you affected?" Sanguine asked curiously, as worried or not, they were just a few mares…hold on…Clover could push him down in a heated moment, and he was nearly thrice her size…uh-oh….

"Oh I'm affected~! I'm just more in control of the sensation since I'm bisexual. I can enjoy either sex's company so while you are getting me excited, I can repress it and redirect it." Puddinghead wiped some sweat from her brow as she panted lightly. "I'll occupy Hurry, you get out of here and I'll try to get things back in order."

"Thank you Pudding." Sanguine tried to teleport but…his casting of the spell was blocked by Platinum!

"You're not going anywhere you stud!" Platinum pounced as her horn shined a shimmering purple. She was casting a Null spell! It was tiring but she was casting a broad-ranged Null spell, which forced all magic in the area to be repressed for as long as the spell lasts. Usually it's an enchantment to handle Unicorn prisoners, but it has combat applications; such as preventing a magic-based assassination, or forcing Unicorns/Alicorns to be unable to teleport to escape!

"Yer not leavin' til all of us are tired and pantin' on the floor!" Smart jumped on his back and hugged his wings, so he couldn't fly out of Platinum's grasp on his neck, and by extension the room. "Get him Hurry! The rope's under our table!"

"Got it!" Hurry flew towards the Earth Pony table only for Puddinghead to pounce on her. "Puddinghead? What're you doing? He's gonna get away!" Hurry was silenced by Puddinghead kissing her deeply; Hurry didn't object, and quickly got into it with the pink mare.

"Thank you Pudding! Sorry ladies!" Sanguine grunted as he strained to open his wings and bucked Smart off his back, he then flew up, and pushed Platinum off his neck before he flew out one of the balconies. "This is insanity! Somehow my own scent has melded with nightshade to create an aphrodisiac! I know I spend an unusual amount of time with the plant but…oh…Faust…."

Sanguine had paused because Pansy was flying nearby with a deep red Pegasus mare with bright red short-cut mane/tail that had a war horn for a Cutie Mark; her burning orange eyes were piercing. Obviously this was Sergeant Red Alert; as discipline and seriousness bled from her very presence.

However it wasn't either of the mares that had Sanguine at a loss for words. With the two mares was a dark grey Pegasus stallion who was…big. Built like an Earth Pony and just shy of Sanguine in size, Corporal Twitch had a rich green spikey mane/tail that seemed to be futilely pulled into a sense of shape by his armor bands, and his wings were broad and strong, resembling Sanguine's own even. All that detracted from his presence was the fact that his amber eyes seemed to have minds of their own, and looked every-which-way without any sense of control.

"Greetings Sire! I am Sergeant Red Alert, and this giant bag of feathers next to me is Corporal Twitchy Hooves. We are reporting for duty as demanded." Red was…wow…a real…forgive the language: bitch. Although it was military standard, Sanguine found her extremely off-putting, especially with how she talked down to Twitch like that without hesitation or remorse. "Sire…this might seem…unbecoming but…might I ask what…cologne you're wearing? It's…making me rather…odd…."

'Ah, so there is a mare in there, and not just a stone heart.' "I am in a…situation. It would seem that something from my alchemy table has caused my very scent to become a sort of airborne aphrodisiac. The Councilors have unfortunately…devolved into a state of estrus at the moment, and as such are quite…unapproachable by me for now, lest I invite a brutal herd mating…." At the mention of the situation, Pansy and Red quickly moved away to avoid becoming sex-crazed mares while Twitch flinched. "Anyhow, you two may instead report directly to my castle. Do you see that small mountain in the forest?"

Sanguine pointed out towards Everfree and the "mountain" in it. Everfree Castle was enchanted with an illusion to make anywhere outside Everfree just see the mountain that was once there. "Fly there; you'll understand where you need to be as you approach."

"THERE HE IS!" Sanguine cringed as he heard Hurry shout, so he quickly dove and the rainbow streak blasted past where he was. "Not this time stud!"

"Twitch! To me!" Sanguine ordered in a panic and Twitch, impressively, intercepted Hurry with a fierce, yet controlled, body check; throwing the commander off course and forcing her to make a landing. Sanguine tried to teleport, but he growled at his magic still being ineffective as he turned towards the council building to see Platinum waving to him energetically, her spell still active. "There's no way I'm escaping them by flight, not with Hurry free from Pudding…where is she anyhow?"

Elsewhere, Puddinghead was getting it on with a Unicorn intern.

"Sire, I had to survive the last estrus cycle when I mislabeled my calendar, I have a suggestion." Twitch flew up to Sanguine and whispered into his ear.

"Really? That's all I can do? But you'll help right?" Sanguine looked to his new friend, which he decided upon simply knowing the lengths Twitch was willing to help him by.

Twitch sighed before gulping and nodding. "I'll…I'll occupy Commander Hurricane…I'm not sure what she'll do when she comes out of it but I'll keep her off your back."

"You're a good soldier Twitch! I'll do something to return the favor soon enough!" Sanguine dove into the quickly growing city, as already cut stone was now being imported from the abandoned towns and castles in the Frozen North through the teleport stones.

"Get back here!" Hurry was about to launch after Sanguine but Twitch tackled her to the ground. "Corporal! Get off! I command you!"

"Sorry ma'am! But I have higher orders!" Twitch replied with his voice cracking slightly as Hurry slowly gave up and appraised Twitch.

"Well~…you ARE the biggest Pegasus I've ever met…does that count for between the thighs?" Hurry asked with a lustful expression and tone and Twitch gulped as he lamented what he had to do.

"Y-yes…it does…."

(With Sanguine)

'I acknowledge your sacrifice and will honor you in favor.' Sanguine dramatically lamented the fate of his guard, left in the hooves of the fastest mare in Equestria…he didn't envy how tired Twitch will be later. 'I'm worried, is this permanent? I've been handling nightshade for years; it was my preferred method of "dealing" with enemies or living monsters I had no desire to test myself against. I have been noticing mares sniffing around me more and more over time…hm…perhaps my ascension and recent return to nightshade has caused this somehow?'

Sanguine pondered as he hid on the roof of a random home. More and more buildings were being converted to proper stone with street plans and everything. The perimeter walls were being made first, being as grand as the walls that surrounded the castle-town of Platinum Palace…likely it was being taken from there.

"Hi!"

"Gah~!" Sanguine jolted in shock at the sudden Puddinghead-like appearance of a purple mare with poofy light purple Puddinghead-like mane/tail, and her eyes were such a dark purple they almost blended with her pupils, making her eyes seem bigger, but her velvet red spectacles pinched to her face helped distract from that. On her flank was a Cutie Mark of what seemed to be a pink falling star with lighter pink flames. "Who are you?"

"I'm Pink Surprise! But my friends call me Pinks! I kinda sensed you were at a loss for what to do, so I'm here to give you a hand!" The energetic Unicorn was practically a purple version of Puddinghead…what's a hand?

"Um…yes, that's a very…Generous thing of you to offer…what's a hand?" Sanguine asked in confusion before he shook his head. "Sorry, but you won't be able to help me, I'm kinda accidentally-."

"Sending mares into estrus! Which, might I say, is a very enviable position from my perspective." Pink wagged her eyebrows as she sat next to him and elbowed him jokingly.

"Wait…you're not going to go crazy and try to jump my bones too are you?" Sanguine asked the purple-hued Puddinghead-like unicorn mare only for her to smirk at him.

"My Prince, you'd have to be a mare for me to be interested like that." Pink wagged her eyebrows again and Sanguine sighed in relief. "I'll admit, you're doing something for sure, but I'm not getting attracted to you…just that Smart Cookie mare over there~." Sanguine looked where Pink was pointing down in the streets, and saw the orange mare looking around frantically; probably hunting him down.

"Oh…well then…I think you could help me. As your Prince; I command you to…distract her." Sanguine smirked deviously and Pink smirked devilishly back.

"Oh~ you can count on that sire." Pink then literally bounced away towards the orange mare, even jumping clear off the three-story stone home and proceeding to literally drag Smart away.

"Ok, Hurry and Smart have been neutralized…all that's left is-."

"Darling~!"

"*GULP* Platinum…." Sanguine spun around to see Platinum STILL casting the Null spell…how strong are her magic reserves?! "Platinum…calm yourself…."

"No! As a Princess, it is my duty to copulate with a Prince! The fact that you're so~ well sculpted in every way, well; that's a definite plus~." Platinum licked her lips as she slowly walked towards Sanguine, who knew that while he could fly away, he'd still have Platinum tailing him somehow; he had to handle this right here.

"Platinum…I'm not sure if you will remember this but…forgive me." Sanguine lurched at her and…crossed horns with her. "Ugh…."

"Ah~!" Sanguine had forced a large quantity of his aura into Platinum, who was experiencing the mental equivalent of ecstasy, before she passed out and laid on the roof, twitching.

That was one of the few things Null spells couldn't stop for a Unicorn: direct magic. Touch-based magic was very out of practice for most schools of magic outside certain areas of the Physic schools such as healing and molding spells. But what he just did was essentially a "mind-rape" spell. By touch with the skull or horn of a living creature, one could imprint a false memory or experience, and having had amazing intercourse with somepony being one such possible false memory/experience.

"Truly sorry for violating your mind like that Platinum, but I have things to do and I need to add suppressing my scent to that list." Sanguine groaned as he felt his magic return, but jumped with a start at the sound of a familiar voice.

"Sanguine Shadowmane!" Sanguine spun around in terror at the voice of his marefriend. "You should have listened to those alchemy safety lessons from Star Swirl! Now look what's become of your negligence!" Clover trotted up to him, still on the same roof of the big three-story home.

"Clover! Stay back! You'll-!"

"Devolve into a sex-crazy mare? Yeah, got it, figured that out. I'm you're marefriend though; I'm SUPPOSED to think of you that way! So that's why until just earlier I realized what was wrong. All of your magic and interacting with nightshade so in-depth without any proper precautions; has laced your very being with the essence of Deadly Nightshade." Clover explained suddenly and Sanguine snapped out of his worry for Clover, and started worrying for himself.

"Wait…I'm essentially a mobile, and sentient form of Deadly Nightshade? But that means I'm poisonous doesn't it?" Sanguine raised a hoof to his face and licked it. "Hm…I do taste good…that is unusual."

"Yes, that is not good. We'll have to do tests to make sure you're not sterile, go through extensive medical examinations to ensure you're not dangerous beyond your deadly attractiveness, and also what…ingestion of your bodily fluids will do…." Clover said the last one with a body-wide blush, and great embarrassment: since there was only really one logical way to test that….

Sanguine joined her blush and gulped in incredible nervousness. "Um…but…we…uh…." Sanguine wasn't saying he wasn't interested, because oh~ was he interested. He was more worried about rushing their relationship too fast, or possibly hurting her if he himself was now a deadly poison.

"Don't worry. Although it will be even more awkward…I've arranged to have Gareth remotely monitor our status to ensure that if something dangerous is happening, then he can quickly stop us and prevent damage." Clover coughed into a hoof, before quickly rushing him and hugging him to smell his neck deeply. "Oh~…I needed that to help lower my inhibitions…even if we can mask that, I do NOT want it to go away if possible."

Sanguine smirked as he leaned down and whispered into her left ear. "Then let this Nightshade…linger in your heart, dance about your mind, and leave you a beautiful wreck~."

Clover felt a sharp pleasurable spike shoot down her spine when he ended that incredibly hot sentence with a nibble to her ear. "Now! We're going now!" Clover teleported them back to Everfree Castle.

However, for everypony else who was affected by the "Deadly Handsome Stallion", it was an embarrassing series of events best left unsaid, but hinted at.

Needless to say; there was much enjoyment.

(Author Notes)

*Pinks is standing next to a hospital bed, sadly looking at the comatose Game, who is currently in a light coma from asphyxiation via mare-hug; otherwise called CBM: Coma By Mare.* "Oh Game…I'm so sorry…oh…hello there. Welcome to the Notes…kinda depressing in here right now, but as his Beta, I will not fail him!" *Pinks warps to the blank Notes room from the hospital* "Since Game is out of commission for an unknown period of time, I need guests! First: Corporal Twitch!"

*suddenly, the dark grey Pegasus falls from the ceiling as if it wasn't there, and crashes headfirst into the floor.* What? Where…have I been summoned to some sort of extra-dimensional plane again? *Twitch asked as he simply got up and had his free-moving eyes scan around without him moving his head.*

"Yeppers! Hi! I'm Pink Surprise! But my friends call me Pinks!"

You…kinda introduced yourself earlier in the chapter already Pink.

"*LE GASP* You're aware of your existence as a fictional character without needing explanation? I mean really; that was just to Sanguine, so how did you know about that?"

I know about it, because I can know about it. Fictional is a term given to something that is considered false or impossible. I'm here, standing before you, fully aware of my existence. As far as I'm concerned, I'm as real as I think I am. *Twitch turns to the reader, his eyes focusing for once rather creepily* So as you read this, I am as real to you as you are to me. Think about that.

"Ow…uh…Twitch; why are you so smart? You didn't seem this intelligent in the chapter. Morally upstanding, and self-sacrificing yes, but not this smart."

I know when to listen, and when it's better to be quiet. I may be klutzy, wall-eyed, and danger-prone; but I know more than most ponies. It's not really because I'm smart or anything, it's because I have the patience to listen. If we're quite done, I kinda need to get back to my reality. I don't want to risk time moving differently between here and Equestria.

"Uh…sure…guess I didn't really need to ask you about that curse or anything…." *Pinks grumbles as she pouts*

No need; its part of my character development, so you'll hear about it in the story. *Twitch then spreads his wings and flies through the ceiling back to Equestria.*

"Oh he's good! Next time…Lesbo Dash! I mean Rainbow Dash!" *blushes lightly*


End file.
